(
If you haven't snuck a peek into the Virginia Avenue Tunnel construction visible from the 4th Street temporary decking, my camera has done it for you. This is a portion of the new second tunnel--once it's completed, then the old original tunnel will be rehabbed and expanded.)
While I was away late last week,
CSX finished the temporary decking on 3rd Street SE and reopened to two-way traffic the stretch between the north side of the freeway and I Street.
This means that if you're coming south from Capitol Hill, you can once again proceed under the freeway at 3rd Street, rather than having to either detour over to 4th Street or be forced onto the freeway ramp.
Note: Virginia Avenue won't be closed at 7th. There will still be a single lane of eastbound traffic on Virginia through the 7th Street intersection, and traffic will still be able to turn to and from Virginia from the section of 7th north of Virginia--it's just the block of 7th between Virginia and L that will be losing any access to Virginia or points north. Detour signs for the closed section of 7th will send vehicles over to 8th Street.
There will be a path available for pedestrians to use 7th throughout the period that the street is closed.
Also, CSX has posted
the presentation boards from its most recent quarterly open house. The next "Coffee with Chuck" will be on May 18, and the next quarterly open house on July 21.
Eleven months down, 31 to go....