About six months ago the DC Department of Transportation released a study proposing 22 ideas for fixing the congestion—and unsightliness—of the Whitehurst Freeway, the elevated highway that runs over K Street and along the waterfront in Georgetown. Last month a decision finally was reached about the highway’s fate: more studies.

Ken Laden, DDOT’s associate director for transportation policy and planning, announced that there will be a “more comprehensive analysis of alternative uses of the corridor through an Environmental Impact Statement.” So for the next 12 to 18 months, analysts will research issues like air and noise pollution, storm-water runoff, and vibration impacts as well as continue to examine the ideas they came up with last year.  

Click here to see maps and descriptions of the 22 alternatives, 15 of which involve tearing the freeway down.  Here’s an example—this one involves building a tunnel, highlighted in blue, beneath K Street from 33rd to 29th streets.