WASHINGTON — Weekend events bring along a boatload of closures.
While many other towns have already hosted their own parades over the past few weeks, the Nation’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Washington D.C. is scheduled Sunday on Constitution Avenue between noon and 3 p.m.
The parade will include local law enforcement, marching bands and will feature many Irish-themed floats.
Motorists near the National Mall should stay alert for heavy pedestrian traffic and expect delays
Rock ‘n’ Roll closures:
The Metropolitan Police Department will put street closures into effect around midnight Saturday for the race. Routes in all four quadrants of the city will be affected and drivers should plan ahead for detours.
Beginning at 7 a.m. on Constitution Avenue near the Washington Monument, the race wraps around the Memorial Bridge and through Rock Creek Park on the Rock Creek Parkway toward Woodley Park. These routes will be off-limits to drivers for most of the morning.
Many of the city’s annual races block these roads, but the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon tends to catch drivers off guard since it takes place after a lull in outdoor events during the winter months. Traffic on the Key and Roosevelt bridges will likely be heavier than usual.
The race course mirrors last year’s, winding through Columbia Heights and Pleasant Plains along Calvert Street, Columbia Road and Harvard Street. Traffic on the intersecting numbered streets including busy 14th and 16th streets will be affected. Runners will head south on North Capitol Street toward Capitol Hill where the half marathon and marathon routes diverge.
The full marathon continues toward Nationals Park along South Capitol Street, around Buzzard Point and across the Douglass Bridge into Southeast Washington. Those who have tickets to CloverFest at The Yards outside of Nationals Park should plan for delays. The outbound side of South Capitol Street on the Douglass Bridge near the ballpark will be closed. The marathon may also complicate travel to the Harlem Globetrotters game at the Verizon Center on Saturday. As always, Metro is the preferred means of transportation to downtown destinations.
The race ends at RFK Stadium. East Capitol Street at the Whiney Young Memorial Bridge will be closed on both sides of the Anacostia River along with nearby Minnesota Avenue.
Interstate 395 and the 14th Street Bridge will not be affected by the race course. The mall tunnels including the 3rd Street Tunnel and 12th Street Expressway are to remain open. K Street NW usually works well as an inbound option from Georgetown. Massachusetts Avenue will carry traffic above the race course on the Glover Bridge at Rock Creek. In Northeast Washington, New York Avenue and Rhode Island Avenue will also remain open above the race course.
