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Lane closures are in effect on the Metropolitan Branch Trail until January

Over a mile of the commuter and recreational trail is getting new LED streetlights

By Andrew Giambrone
Pedestrians along a multiuse trail surrounded by trees and elevated train tracks.
The Metropolitan Branch Trail, near R Street NE
The Washington Post/Getty Images

An ongoing detour due to development along the Metropolitan Branch Trail isn’t the only traffic change slated for the popular multiuse trail in Northeast over the next few months. Streetlight reconstruction work beginning today will necessitate temporary lane closures on the trail between Florida Avenue NE and Franklin Street NE until January 2020. While one travel lane will stay open at all times, according to the city, work will happen each weekday.

The resulting traffic changes “will move along within the project limits depending on where active construction is,” the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) says in a release. Work on new LED lights will take place Mondays through Fridays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The project is designed to better illuminate the trail and improve users’ safety, DDOT notes.

A street-view map of lane closures on the Metropolitan Branch Trail. The project area is highlighted in red and runs from west to east.
Map of Metropolitan Branch Trail lane closures
D.C. government

“Advance warning signs and flaggers will be in place at all times during construction,” the agency explains. “Trail users are advised to stay alert while traveling in this location and be observant of work crews.” The project covers about 1.25 miles of the trail and overlaps with a detour between Randolph Place NE and Q Street NE that is expected to last until November. That detour is due to construction on a new 2.5-acre park adjacent to the trail, in Eckington.