The National Park Service will begin modifications on Memorial Circle starting September 28th through the end of October. The project includes several safety improvements for trail users crossing Washington Boulevard and the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Improvements include:
- Higher visibility crosswalks.
- Relocating trail crossings.
- Lane reductions.
- New signage and rapid flashing beacons.
- Clearer lane markings.
- Repaved road surface.
Trail users may experience temporary closures during road closures. Most of the work will not require road closures, but construction workers may temporarily narrow lanes overnight and during off-peak hours. During the day, construction workers will stripe and install new signs. Work is not scheduled during the morning or evening rush hours.
In addition, NPS will permanently close one of two ramps from South Arlington Boulevard to South Washington Boulevard to improve safety at a crosswalk. When this change happens, drivers should follow the signed route to the other ramp a few hundred yards beyond the closed ramp.
The Memorial Avenue corridor is a major element of the system of public buildings, parks, memorials, bridges and drives that constitutes the monumental core of Washington, D.C. This construction work honors Memorial Circle’s original design and complements the work to rehabilitate Arlington Memorial Bridge.
Once implemented, the NPS will monitor the effectiveness of these changes. You can read more about the plan and see diagrams at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/mctpea.