Overnight, on Monday, December 2, through early morning on Tuesday, December 3, Gresham Place Northwest and part of Fifth Street Northwest will be closed to allow DC Water to conduct underground surveys in the area.  Crews will work through the night, from 7:30 p.m. until 5:00 a.m., to examine the surrounding soil conditions, and perform field inspections to get a clear picture of the underground conditions.  

While the survey work is underway, Gresham Place, which is a one-way street, and the southbound lane of Fifth Street will be closed at the intersection. DC Water worked with nearby Howard University, the District Department of Transportation, and US Army Corps of Engineers to plan the work at night to minimize traffic impacts and traffic noise for the tests.  

The northbound lanes of Fifth Street will also be closed for approximately two hours; however, the equipment can be cleared quickly in the event the road is needed for an emergency.  

There will be no impact on water or sewer service nor significant noise impacts. The figure below shows the traffic control detour locations and anticipated survey area for this work.

Southbound Detour Map

Northbound Detour Map

Anticipated Schedule:  

• Start date and time: Wednesday, December 2, 2024, at 7:30 PM
• End date and time: Thursday, December 3, 2024, at 5:00 AM

Road Closure Detail:

• Gresham Pl NW & Fifth St NW (southbound direction) will be closed for the duration of work.
• Fifth St NW (northbound direction) will only be closed for 2 hours. Equipment can be removed for emergency vehicles, if necessary. 

Traffic Detours:

• Motorists will be directed to follow detour signage.
• Vehicles traveling southbound on Fifth St NW will be detoured at the intersection of Harvard St NW and Fifth St NW:
  • Westbound traffic will travel along Holbert Pl NW to merge left onto Warder St and take an immediate left onto Columbia Rd NW.
  • Eastbound traffic will travel along Holbert Pl NW to merge onto Michigan Ave NW.  
• During the two hours when northbound Fifth St is closed, traffic will be diverted:
  • Westbound traffic will take a left from Fourth St NW onto College St NW.
  • Eastbound traffic will take a right from Fourth St NW onto Bryant St NW.
• All pedestrian sidewalks will remain open during the duration of the work.  
• Traffic control, signage, and protective barriers will be set up to maintain worker and public safety during the work. 

DC Water 24-hr Emergency/Command Center: (202) 612-3400

DC Water Office of External Affairs: (202) 787-2200