Ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s Inauguration on Jan. 20, the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Capitol Police began to install a fenced security perimeter Jan. 12 that will lead to road closures around the district well before next week.
The advanced Inauguration preparation follows the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s subsequent State of Emergency declaration. That declaration will stay in effect until Jan. 21 at 3 p.m., and there is expected to be a heavy National Guard presence in the city in the meantime.
“This is the beginning of the installation of the inauguration perimeter around the White House, the Mall, the Capitol, and parts of downtown,” Bowser said in a tweet. “Allow for additional travel time in and around downtown.”
“In preparation for the 59th Presidential Inauguration, the following road closures are in effect beginning … Jan. 12, 2021, until further notice,” Capitol Police said in a release.
The affected roads are:
- Independence Avenue between Washington Avenue Southwest and Second Street Southeast.
- Constitution Avenue between First Street Northwest and Second Street Northeast.
- East Capitol Street between First and Second Streets.
MPD also announced additional “intermittent” road closures at six locations to install fencing. They are:
- 18th Street at Constitution Avenue Northwest.
- 17th Street at Independence Avenue Southwest.
- 11th Street at Independence Avenue Southwest.
- 12th Street at Independence Avenue Southwest.
- 7th Street at Madison Drive Northwest.
- 7th Street at Jefferson Drive Southwest.
The additional closures suggest the security fencing will cover a large perimeter and parking around the district will also be restricted. However, parking restrictions have not yet been disclosed.
