Major Road Through National Mall Shut Down

WASHINGTON, DC — A major roadway on the grounds of the National Mall will be closed down until late Friday afternoon for installation of a test flood wall, authorities say.

Work crews will be conducting roadway repairs on 17th Street between Constitution Avenue and Independence Avenue NW, and the road will be blocked until 4 p.m., the D.C. government said in an alert Friday morning. However, the NPS says that it's actually for a test levee installation

They advised commuters to use alternate routes.

The road in question runs through the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial.

The National Park Service said in a statement that the closure was for the installation of a test 17th Street flood wall.

"The annual test installation is necessary to ensure the levee closure can be erected properly in the event of high water, and is also a requirement of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which constructed and regulates the levee system and closure," NPS said.

"Consisting of aluminum panels between steel posts, the 17th Street levee closure is part of the Potomac Park Levee System in downtown Washington, D.C.," the statement adds. "In the event of high water, the removable structure can be erected across 17th Street NW south of Constitution Avenue NW to reduce flood risk to human safety and critical infrastructure downtown and in Southwest parts of the district from flooding of the Potomac River."

The National Park Service is responsible for operating and maintaining the 17th Street Levee.

There have been several recent incidents of flooding in some of the coastal areas of D.C. as well as elsewhere on the shores of the Potomac River, particularly in Old Town Alexandria, Va.

“In the event of high water, the removable structure can be erected across 17th Street NW south of Constitution Avenue NW to reduce flood risk” https://t.co/65Bn7nWUWk

Photo by @jdsonder pic.twitter.com/ew6FLtsDUV
— PoPville (@PoPville) November 15, 2019