‘New Year’s Day Sunshine’
courtesy of ‘Karon’
This past Monday, August 24, marked the beginning of Operation: Remove, Restore and Replace Georgetown’s C&O Canal Bridges.  The project’s three targets, the 29th Street, 30th Street and Thomas Jefferson Street development bridges will be undergoing some serious work over the next 36 months.  Yup. That’s right. According to the DDOT, each bridge will take one full year to complete and DDOT is conducting the work on one bridge at a time.

The first on the docket is the 30th Street bridge, which as of Monday, will be closed to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic until July 2010.  Thomas Jefferson Street and 29th Street are the designated detour routes, the “open” part of 30th Street has two-way traffic, and the closure does not limit access to the business and residences located along 30th Street.

Additionally, current construction will require night time closures (9:00pm – 5:00am) of the 31st Street Bridge starting this Sunday, August 30 through Wednesday, September 23 with 31st street reopening in the morning. Local residents will have access of 31st Street via M Street, NW and K Street, NW.

In the coming three years, there are sure to be more temporary detours and street closures due to the $6 million  restoration project.  But given the state of these crumbling bridges, the minor hassles and traffic hiccups will be well worth the trouble.

Rebecca Johnson

A born and bred New Yorker, Rebecca made the big trip “down south” to DC in 2006 and hasn’t looked back. She spends her days strategizing/planning/ideating how interactive products can help her clients and change the world. In her free time, she explores DC’s ever expanding bar, restaurant and small business scene, plays a crap ton of soccer, attends concerts that contribute to her sleep deprivation and embarks on local adventures. Read why Rebecca loves DC or follow her on twitter.