Planning to attend the 2017 presidential inauguration of Donald Trump on Friday? Be aware of what’s open and what’s closed in the area.
It’s going to be an absolute mess in Washington, D.C. this Friday as Donald Trump gets sworn in as president of the United States on Inauguration Day Jan. 20. There will be massive road closures in the downtown area as authorities make the area available to hundreds of thousands of people to witness the event. Here’s what kind of road closures you can expect in the area.
The Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Park Police have put in place two tiers of restricts, the first being the Red Zone and the second being the Green Vehicle Restricted Zone. The Red Zone, which involves full road closures, includes the National Mall, the U.S. Capitol, and the White House, as well as the blocks surrounding Pennsylvania Avenue between the Capitol and the White House where the inaugural parade will take place.
The Green Vehicle Restricted Zone expands a bit beyond the Red Zone to include the parks between the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, as well as the area to the northwest of the National Mall, and while it’s not closed to traffic, there will be huge delays there. Also, drivers and passengers in the Green Zone will need to provide proof of residency or employment identification or some kind of verbal justification to enter the area. Only authorized personnel can enter the Red Zone.
Even bicycles won’t be permitted in the Red Zone starting at 3 a.m. on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, although you can ride as much as you want in the Green Zone. You also can’t take a taxi or Uber into town in either the Red or Green Zones, so your best bet will take the Metro rail system into downtown by getting off at the Foggy Bottom, Archives or Union Station stops.
In addition, authorities in Virginia will be shutting down bridges from Arlington into the District, including the Memorial Bridge and the HOV lanes of I-395 over the 14th Street Bridge.
Wanda B. Hewlett
Wanda B. Hewlett (Contributor) is a freelance writer from the UK. When she’s not busy writing she loves to spend her time traveling, exploring and running.