(Washington, DC) In preparation for the July 4 weekend, The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is advising participants to please take notice of the following street closures and related advisories that will impact travel in the city.

July 4 Celebration on the National Mall

Road Closures

As part of the extensive security measures implemented for this event, many streets in and around the National Mall will be closed on Sunday, July 4th, 2010. The National Park Service reports the following streets will be closed at approximately 6 am (except where otherwise noted) and will remain closed until approximately 11 pm:

• Arlington Memorial Bridge to Memorial Circle on the Virginia end of the bridge;
• Rock Creek Parkway south of Virginia Avenue, NW to Lincoln Memorial Circle, including all approaches and ramps;
• Lincoln Memorial Circle and all approaches and ramps into and out of Lincoln Memorial Circle, including Henry Bacon Drive, NW and Daniel Chester French Drive, SW;
• Ramp from Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge to Constitution Avenue, NW and Ohio Drive, SW;
• Inbound traffic on I-66 will be directed to the E Street Expressway;
• Constitution Avenue, NW from 23rd Street, NW to 14th Street, NW;
• Constitution Avenue, NW from Pennsylvania Avenue, NW to 14th Street, NW, starting at 11:00 am;
• 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd Streets, NW between Constitution Avenue, NW and C Street, NW;
• 18th Street, NW between Constitution Avenue, NW and Virginia Avenue, NW;
• Virginia Avenue, NW between Constitution Avenue, NW and 18th Street, NW;
• 17th Street from E Street, NW south to Independence Avenue, SW;
• C and D Streets, NW from 17th to 18th Streets, NW;
• 15th Street from E Street, NW south to Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW;
• Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW from Independence Ave. to Maine Avenue;
• Independence Avenue, SW west of 14th Street, SW to 23rd Street, SW, including merge with Rock Creek Parkway;
• Madison Drive, NW from 15th Street to 3rd Street;
• Jefferson Drive, SW from 15th Street to 3rd Street;
• 7th Street between Constitution Avenue, NW and Independence Avenue, SW;
• 4th Street between Constitution Avenue, NW and Independence Avenue, SW;
• Ohio Drive, SW from the Inlet Bridge to Independence Avenue, SW;
• West Basin Drive, SW from Ohio Drive to Independence Avenue;
• East Basin Drive, SW, east of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial at Ohio Drive, SW;
• 3rd Street between Pennsylvania Avenue, NW and Maryland Avenue, SW;
• 14th Street between Pennsylvania Avenue, NW and Independence Avenue, SW will be closed at 11:00 a.m. until after the fireworks;
• Ramp from southbound and northbound George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) to Memorial Avenue /Circle;
• Ramp from northbound Route 110 to Memorial Avenue;
• Ramp from VA-27 to Memorial Avenue/Circle;
• Eastbound Route 50 ramps to the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) and roads in the immediate area of U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial;
• Southbound GWMP ramp to 14th Street Bridge;
• Northbound GWMP ramp to 14th Street Bridge.

For more information about Independence Day events on the Mall, visit www.nps.gov/dc/july4th.

For more information about July 4 activities and road closures in Arlington, please visit www.arlingtonva.us.

Parking Restrictions

Please note, parking throughout the area around the National Mall will be extremely limited on July 4.

DDOT has begun posting emergency no parking signs on the affected streets. Residents, workers and visitors can park at these locations until the restrictions begin, but please do not remove the temporary signs. Even if the signs are removed, the no parking restrictions will be enforced on the 4th.

Mass Transit

Residents and visitors are encouraged to take public transportation on Sunday. Metro will be adding additional service, although bus passengers should be aware some routes will be detoured. For more information visit www.metroopensdoors.com.

In addition, three routes of the DC Circulator will be impacted on July 4 due to the extensive road closures. The detours are as follows:

For more information about the DC Circulator routes, visit www.dccirculator.com.

Operation Fast-Forward

In coordination with its regional transportation and public safety partners, DDOT will once again run “Operation Fast Forward” on July 4. This annual exercise allows the participating agencies to expedite and manage the flow of traffic after the fireworks, while they test their emergency evacuation plans.

On five select evacuation routes, traffic signals will be retimed to provide longer green lights for traffic exiting the city. The operation is slated to begin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the fireworks and run for 60 minutes.

The Operation Fast Forward emergency routes are:

• Connecticut Avenue – Between K St and Chevy Chase Circle
• Georgia Avenue/7th St – Between Mt. Vernon Square and Eastern Avenue
• 14th Street – Between E Street and 14th St Bridge
• K Street – Between 17th St and WhitehurstFreeway; Canal Rd – Between Whitehurst and Chain Bridge
• Pennsylvania Avenue, SE – Between Independence Avenue and Southern Avenue; Branch Avenue – Between Pennsylvania and Southern Avenue

Safety

DDOT and its regional partners remind pedestrians and motorists to obey all traffic laws, including crossing at designated crosswalks and following the directions of Metropolitan Police and other law enforcement personnel. DDOT will deploy Traffic Control Officers (TCOs) to assist with the flow of traffic and pedestrian movements around the Mall.

Tips for Motorists:

• Always obey the directions of police officers and TCOs at intersections.
• When leaving parking garages or lots near the Mall after the fireworks, be prepared to stop and yield to people on the sidewalk. They have the right of way and there will be many of them.
• Drive slowly and cautiously on streets near the Mall after the fireworks. The sidewalks are not large enough to accommodate the number of pedestrians exiting the Mall and people will be walking in the street for several blocks in near the Mall.
• Remember that drivers turning right or left at intersections must stop and give right of way to pedestrians legally in the crosswalk. Under DC Law, failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk is punishable by up to a $250 fine and 3 points on your license.

Tips for Pedestrians:

• Always obey the directions of police officers and TCOs at intersections.
• Wait for the Walk signal and watch for turning vehicles.
• Obey the pedestrian signals rather than the vehicle signals. There may be a turn arrow for drivers.
• Cross at signal controlled intersections whenever possible.
  Drink plenty of water! Temperatures for July 4 are slated to be in the 90s.