Avoid Long-Suffering Benning Road on Thursday

Benning Road NE is about as badly torn up as a street can be. It was torn up for utility work and now for a reconstruction project that should leave Benning and H Street looking great when complete, but it's been a long, tough slog for the people driving on Benning for the past couple of years. It looks like it was used for artillery practice.

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty may have some good news on Thursday about an expedited construction timetable, which would be most welcome.

According to the contractor's most recent update, the No. 1 project priority is paving two eastbound and two westbound lanes by July 15, so motorists can have a smooth surface to drive on while construction continues in the median.

In the meantime, watch out for this on Thursday:

The District Department of Transportation is scheduled to do road paving work in the curb lane on the eastbound side of Benning from 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastbound traffic will be restricted to one lane between 20th Street and Oklahoma Avenue. Traffic delays are likely, and alternative routes would be better, though by now, I can't imagine anyone is using Benning who doesn't have to.

DDOT says Metrobus stops at 21st Street, 23rd Street and Oklahoma Avenue will be in use at all times, except these:
* The 21st Street stop will be closed from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.
* The 23rd Street stop will be closed from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
* The Oklahoma Avenue stop will be closed from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.