WASHINGTON — A revitalization project expected to begin this week in Ward Seven will mean聽lane closures on portions of聽Minnesota Avenue in D.C.
Traffic聽will be reduced to a single northbound and a single southbound lane in work zones along聽Minnesota Avenue, from聽A Street Southeast to south of Benning Road Northeast.
The project聽was supposed to start聽Monday, but got postponed to Tuesday because of聽bad weather,聽 District Department of Transportation officials said. 聽Weather permitting, the roadwork聽is expected to take place weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on weekends and night, as needed.
Dawit Muluneh, District Department of Transportation’s interim deputy chief engineer, said聽the scope of the lane closures would聽be limited to the area being worked on a given聽day.
“So if we鈥檙e working in two-blocks, the restrictions will be in those two-blocks. The restrictions will not be end to end,”聽Muluneh said.
This is the first of eight phases of the Minnesota Avenue Revitalization project, which is聽expected to continue for 18 months.聽Construction is expected to conclude by聽spring 2017.
Muluneh said聽the corridor was聽very congested for cars and pedestrians.聽In certain locations, it’s almost impossible for pedestrians to get across Minnesota Avenue,聽Muluneh said.聽He said聽crews聽will add a traffic signal at the intersection of Blaine Street and Minnesota Avenue, the site of聽a large senior housing facility.
Other improvements include: roadway replacement, sidewalk widening, new traffic signals, ADA-compliant ramps, improved bus stops, lots of trees, and a new water main.
