WASHINGTON — Nationals Park will once again be Ground Zero for big crowds Monday, as the band One Direction will perform at 7 p.m. The show will likely have tweens and commuters screaming as they bolt in opposite directions.
Doors for the show open at 5 p.m. and the District Department of Transportation will have traffic control officers positioned along South Capitol Street near the venue. Nearby cross streets are scheduled to be closed and motorists should be on alert for pedestrians near crosswalks before and after the event. Long lines could form near the venue’s entrance gates.
Officials are discouraging drivers from dropping off children along South Capitol Street. This worsens traffic backups and endangers those passengers along this busy artery.
Parking will be limited, but all parking garages will be open by 2 p.m.
With legions of fans streaming toward Nationals Park on Monday, commuters can expect heavier than usual traffic on the Southeast/Southwest Freeway and South Capitol Street. Traffic delays can be worse before shows at Nationals Park since baseball fans are more accustomed to taking Metro, while many concert-goers may be more reluctant to use mass transit.
One Direction rose to fame with the help of the United Kingdom’s television show “The X Factor.”
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