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.
DC Water is wrapping up repairs on a broken 8-inch water main on Martin Luther King Jr. Ave Southeast; however, motorists are advised to continue to steer clear of the road. It’s expected to remain closed between Howard Rd and Talbert Street through Tuesday and possibly longer.
Beginning on or about May 13, 2025, DC Water will temporarily close one lane of the ramp from Ohio Drive Southwest to I-66. Crews will be working to locate and mark underground utilities in the park area west of the Lincoln Memorial as part of the Potomac River Tunnel Project. The lane closure will occur after the morning rush hour and reopen before the evening rush hour begins.
DC CLEAN RIVERS – POTOMAC RIVER TUNNEL PROJECT
DC Water is advising the public of construction impacts starting on or about the week of May 12, 2025, in the 3500 block of Water Street Northwest near the Capital Crescent Trail, weather permitting. Temporary traffic lane closures, trail detours, and parking restrictions will be in effect.
DC Water is preparing for emergency repairs on a large sewer line next to Rock Creek, after discovering significant structural issues. The six-foot pipeline, known as the Rock Creek Main Interceptor, carries as much as 100 million gallons of wastewater a day and could cause significant environmental harm if a failure occurred.
DC CLEAN RIVERS – POTOMAC RIVER TUNNEL PROJECT
Beginning on or about May 8, 2025, DC Water will begin work to locate and mark underground utilities on K Street Northwest between 29th and 30th streets Northwest. The work, which involves drilling small holes, will require temporary lane and parking closures and parking restrictions.
As part of the excavation work for DC Water’s Potomac River Tunnel Project, weekly controlled underground blasting operations at the West Potomac Park construction site will begin as early as next week and continue through February 2026. The site is located along the Potomac River at Ohio Drive and Independence Avenue Southwest.
Contractor to perform inspections in area of 54-inch sewer main failure
DC Water in coordination with the District Department of Transportation will perform emergency work on Suitland Parkway Southeast near Stanton Road starting tonight as early as 7 p.m. and ending tomorrow morning at 5 a.m. Crews will be inspecting additional sections of a 54-inch stormwater main that failed last month.
Her name is Mary and she’s a tunnel boring machine (TBM) capable of cutting through hard rock and boring a tunnel 21 feet in width. This month, she completed factory acceptance testing in Germany and will head across the pond to DC to start work on the Potomac River Tunnel.
DC Water’s efforts to build a more resilient water supply took a significant step forward with the announcement today of Rabia Chaudhry, PhD, PE, as the first Director of Water Supply Resilience. The new position reflects the importance and urgency surrounding the Authority’s reliance on the Potomac River as its only water source and the need for alternatives.
