The DC Water and Sewer Authority (DC WASA) is replacing aging water mains that run under the Dupont Circle roadway. This work is being coordinated with the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) and completed prior to the start of a future DDOT project. Using this approach, DC WASA is working to minimize the disruption and inconvenience for residents, commuters and businesses that can result from construction projects.

Commenting on the project, David McLaughlin, Acting Director, Engineering and Technical Services, said, “Many of the pipes within Dupont Circle were laid more than 60 years ago. The age of the pipes, coupled with the corrosive action of the soil, increases the potential for water main failure. Now, in advance of major work planned by DDOT, is the time to replace these mains in a carefully planned and controlled project. We do not want to wait to respond to a major water main break that could seriously interrupt service as well as disrupt vehicular and pedestrian traffic.”

Water service to nearby businesses and residences may be temporarily shut-off for up to four hours at a time. The work will start at the south entrance of Connecticut Avenue NW, and is slated to begin in August 2008 and finish in the fall of 2009.

McLaughlin added, “We recognize Dupont Circle is a high traffic area. We are working closely with DDOT in order to maximize efficiencies and minimize disruptions.”
• Most of the construction will be done at night, when traffic is lighter.
• The work will be completed in phases, a block at a time, so that some local traffic may enter the circle; however, motorists who are passing through are encouraged to find alternate routes.
• Within each block, the inbound lanes of streets that feed into the circle will be closed.
• Once work is completed in each phase, temporary asphalt will be applied so that part of the roadway can be made available, and crews will move along to the next section. The permanent restoration will be done after water main installation is completed along the two outer lanes of the circle.

DC WASA is an independent Authority of the District of Columbia government and serves more than 580,000 residents in the District by delivering drinking water and collecting and treating wastewater. DC WASA also serves approximately 1.6 million people in the surrounding counties of Montgomery and Prince George’s in Maryland and Fairfax and Loudoun in Virginia with wastewater treatment services at the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant.

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