Neal Augenstein, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – Getting to and through Adams Morgan these days is even more difficult than it already was, with road and sidewalk work creating an obstacle course.
Drivers on 18th Street NW from Florida Avenue NW to Columbia Road NW find shifting, disappearing lanes and road surfaces bumpy from temporary patches or metal plates.
Pedestrians weave past temporary light poles with plastic-covered cables protruding, waiting to be tripped over. Orange construction barrels and yellow tape further crowd the sidewalks.
The already-too-few street parking spots have temporarily disappeared to make way for through traffic.
The current inconveniences will have an eventual payoff. They’re part of a $6 million project to make Adams Morgan more walkable.
Business owners tell The Washington Post the hubbub is hampering them because of the difficulty customers face to get to their doors.
One shop owner likens the project to getting a root canal — a theme echoed by Ward One Council member Jim Graham who “made it clear, this was going to be a major trip to the dentist.”
The last time Adams Morgan got such a makeover was in the 1920s, according to city officials.
It’s hoped the project will be completed by early summer.
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