Bridge closings begin tonight

Construction updates | Travel tips l Capital Weather Gang

Headaches on the horizon

Travelers can expect the pattern of warm days and cool evenings to continue this week, with slim chances for occasional showers. Let's take a look at two D.C. bridge projects that involve late-night and weekend closings.

Douglass Bridge closings
The District Department of Transportation is about to launch a string of overnight and weekend closings on the bridge near Nationals Park that takes South Capitol Street over the Anacostia River. The District's long-term goal is to replace the bridge, but since 2007, the transportation department has worked on lengthening the span's useful life through repair and rehabilitation projects.

The nighttime closings, which start Wednesday and continue till Sept. 30, will overlap with the dates of some late-season Nationals games, but given the hours of the closings, this shouldn't be an issue for baseball fans. Throughout the sequence of closings, the bridge sidewalks will remain open for pedestrians and bicyclists.

This week: 8 p.m. Wednesday through 5 a.m. Thursday.
This weekend: 9 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday.
Next week: 11 p.m. Monday through 5 a.m. Tuesday; 11 p.m Tuesday through 5 a.m. Wednesday; 11 p.m. Wednesday through 5 a.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Thursday through 5 a.m. Friday.
Weekend of Sept. 24-26: 11 p.m. Friday through 9 a.m. Saturday; 11 p.m. Saturday through 5 a.m. Sunday; 8 p.m Sunday through 5 a.m. Monday.
Week of Sept. 27: 11 p.m. Monday through 5 a.m. Tuesday; 11 p.m. Tuesday through 5 a.m. Wednesday; 11 p.m. Wednesday through 5 a.m. Thursday.

Chain Bridge closings
Even though the surface repairs were completed and the bridge was restored to its three-lane configuration, the overall rehabilitation project has continued. Several more weekend closings will allow structural work under the bridge to continue.

During these times, the Potomac River crossing will be closed:
-- 8 p.m. this Friday, Sept. 17, through 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 20
-- 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 1, through 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 4
-- 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8, through 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 11
-- 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15, through 5 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 17

The District Department of Transportation says that if an additional weekend closing is needed, it will occur from 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22, through 5 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 24.