Closure between Morris Rd and Suitland Pkwy, motorists encouraged to avoid area

DC Water crews are on scene of a water main break that occurred early this morning on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue Southeast. Water from the main flooded the street and caused significant damage to the roadway, closing the street between Morris Road and Suitland Parkway.

At this time, repairs are estimated to take 8-10 hours pending further investigation or other complications. Several homes and businesses in the area are reported without water, including a 110-unit apartment building, as well as Thurgood Marshall High School.

The break has been isolated; however, repairs will require excavation of the road to get to the pipe. Once complete, work will begin to repave the road which could take another 2-3 days. It’s unclear at this time when the road will open to traffic; however, every effort will be made to partially reopen some lanes when feasible.

DC Water is working closely with DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), District Department of Transportation (DDOT), Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services (MOCRS) and other agencies to assist customers and mitigate traffic in the area. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to stay clear of the area. Drivers should follow detour signage and the instruction of flaggers. To avoid traffic back-ups use I-295 as an alternative.

Additional information will be provided as available online at dcwater.com or through our social media channels @dcwater on X and @dcwater.bsky.social on Bluesky.

Customers are also encouraged to sign up for Alerts to receive updated information about service disruptions at dcwater.com/alerts.