DC officials have unveiled plans to transform a five-block stretch of Connecticut Avenue and Dupont Circle into a pedestrian-friendly streetscape through a 27-month construction project.
Currently, Connecticut Avenue in Dupont Circle is split up by an underpass. For the last decade, local leaders have been petitioning the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to turn it into a public plaza, DC News Now reports.
“And they found about $30 million to build over this deck and then streetscape Connecticut Avenue so it’s going to renew all of Dupont Circle and be a very exciting plaza for the city,” the publication quoted Bill McLeod, executive director of the Dupont Circle Business Improvement District as saying.
On Jan. 30, DDOT unveiled final plans for the overdeck and streetscape project along five blocks on Connecticut Avenue, from Dupont Circle to the Washington Hilton hotel.
“The road beds may be a bit narrower and there’ll be a bike lane next to it and so skinny streets make for slower traffic,” McLeod said. Slower traffic is better for the pedestrian environment and pedestrian environments are great for restaurants and retail.”
Neighbours expressed concerns about safety during construction, but DDOT officials said these concerns will be addressed during the planning stages ahead. Construction is still nine or 10 months away, they say.
