Contact (Media Only): Beauty Stephens (202) 671-1364

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announces plans to close the exit ramp for the US Capitol and northbound I-395 (the 3rd Street Tunnel) on eastbound I-395 this weekend.  The closure will begin at 8 pm Friday, November 3 and end no later than 4 am Monday, November 6, 2006.

Traffic traveling eastbound on I-395 will be detoured to Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, where they can access northbound I-295 or westbound Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, to the Sousa Bridge ramp for westbound I-395, which gives access to the exit ramps for the northbound 3rd Street tunnel and the US Capitol.

The 7th Street SW ramp to eastbound I-395 will also be closed and traffic detoured north on 7th Street SW to D Street SW, west on D Street SW for one block, to the ramp for eastbound I-395.

However, the westbound 3rd Street Tunnel and other westbound freeway traffic will not be affected. 

These closures are part of DDOT’s Skid Accident Reduction Program which is designed to minimize wet weather skidding accidents by correcting sections of roadway with high or potentially high incidents of skid accidents.  The cobblestone paved surface in the tunnel will be removed and replaced with super pave asphalt.  This process will affect approximately 460 feet of roadway.

Motorists are encouraged to follow posted detour signs and to use extreme caution when passing through work zones.