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17th St from Constitution Avenue NW to Independence Avenue SW will be closed while crews perform routine maintenance on the 17th St levee.
WASHINGTON — Commuters should plan ahead for a road closure impacting downtown D.C. Wednesday, Sept. 24 crews will conduct annual levee testing on 17th St. in northwest. 17th St. from Constitution Avenue NW to Independence Avenue SW will be closed from 5 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The levee is operated and maintained by the National Park Service. At its highest point, the levee is 10-feet-tall. If it is needed, huge steel beams will come up out of the sidewalk and the street along 17th to hold concrete slabs into place.
Those concrete slabs would be responsible to hold back millions of gallons of flood water from the Potomac River at the base of 17th Street.
National Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst said those concrete barriers are loaded on flatbeds and ready to go on a moment’s notice and could take around three hours to get in place.
Crews testing the levee want to make sure it’s working properly in the event of significant flooding.
Flood risks are higher in low lying areas of the district, including the 17th St area, which was once part of the Potomac River.
In the event of high water, this levee can be erected across 17th St, protecting tens of thousands of people and more than $14 billion worth of downtown real estate. Cranes are used to help secure protective panels in place.
Tests like this one are becoming increasingly more important amid global warming concerns, such as increased frequency of severe rain events and the rise of tidal rivers like the Potomac.
For those looking to avoid today’s levee testing closures, take 14th St NW in either direction.
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