Construction continues on the first of the new D.C. streetcar lines, the one in Anacostia scheduled to open late in 2012.

Travelers are well aware that traffic through the intersection at South Capitol Street and Firth Sterling Avenue was reduced to one lane in each direction for the first phase of construction, but the District Department of Transportation sent out an advisory about new restrictions in effect this week.

Traffic from the Naval Annex on Defense Boulevard can't turn right onto southbound South Capitol Street from Defense Boulevard. All outbound traffic from the Naval Annex to southbound South Capitol Street is being directed to this half-mile detour: Go through the intersection on Firth Sterling, turn Left on Barry Road, then right on Firth Sterling, then left to go south on South Capitol Street.

This phase of construction should be done by about Nov. 21, DDOT says. But additional work will continue on South Capitol Street and Firth Sterling Avenue until mid-January. DDOT continues to suggest these alternative routes:

* I-295 North to Suitland Parkway to South Capitol Street SE.
* Malcolm X Avenue SE to Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue to W Street to 13th Street to I-295 North.
* South Capitol Street SE to Suitland Parkway to I-295 South.
* I-295 to 11th Street Bridge to Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue to South Capitol Street.

Here's a map of that area.

View Larger Map

By Robert Thomson  |  November 11, 2009; 11:01 AM ET
Categories:  Commuting , Construction , Driving , transit  | Tags: DDOT, Dr. Gridlock, streetcars Share This:  E-Mail | Technorati | Del.icio.us | Digg | Stumble Previous: Another road project on DC's eastern side
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