Avoid Mass Ave This Evening
With Pope Benedict XVI scheduled to arrive at Andrews Air Force Base at 4 p.m., there's likely to be some extra traffic congestion late in this evening's rush period.
The exact route the pope will take into the District has not been made public, for security reasons, but it's a good bet there will be congestion on Massachusetts Avenue around Observatory Circle, where the Vatican Embassy is located.
In fact, since parts of Massachusetts Avenue will be restricted during the next few days, it would be best to avoid that area from this afternoon through Friday morning.
From 5 p.m. today through 9 a.m. Friday:
-- No truck traffic will be allowed on Massachusetts Avenue between Wisconsin Avenue and Observatory Circle.
-- Massachusetts Avenue between Observatory Circle and 34th Street will be one lane in each direction.
If that's part of your regular commuting route, try Wisconsin Avenue, Connecticut Avenue or 16th Street NW while the pope is here. Or for an east-west connection above the blocked off part of Massachusetts Avenue, try Garfield Street, Cleveland Avenue and Calvert Street.
Wednesday: Woodley Park pointed out in comments on the previous posting that Wednesday is Emancipation Day in the District, with holiday travel rules.
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April 15, 2008; 3:45 PM ET
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Posted by: Wednesday | April 15, 2008 4:01 PM
there is only one 's' in Massachusetts
Posted by: Anonymous | April 15, 2008 4:41 PM
The police were kind enough to stop traffic coming off Maine Ave. for 20 minutes before the motorcade arrived. I was eighth in line, so it only cost me 30 minutes altogether, but some of the people at the back of the line are going to be working on getting home for hours.
Of course, the Pope is infallible, so his decision to push a 40-vehicle convoy through DC at rush hour was obviously correct.
Posted by: ben j | April 15, 2008 5:16 PM
"there is only one 's' in Massachusetts"
I thought it had 4...
Posted by: Laura | April 15, 2008 5:18 PM
Ha!
And ben, I bet if that was your boy obambi you'd be wetting yourself to sit in traffic.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 15, 2008 5:34 PM
This should remind everyone why they are glad they don't live in New York where this could happen every day.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 15, 2008 6:58 PM
How does this happen everyday in NYC?
This is common around the time of the UN General Assembly meeting every September when all the heads of state come to town...but otherwise its business as usual. I've been stuck in presidential motorcade traffic there, but I've been caught in it here and in North Carolina too.
Posted by: Woodley Park | April 15, 2008 11:46 PM
someone doesn't know the difference between could and does
Posted by: get a dictionary | April 16, 2008 9:21 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Will K Street (underneath Washington Circle) be closed tomorrow (Wed April 16th)?