Beginning today, commuters might notice roadwork along Connecticut Avenue near DC’s Dupont Circle. The construction near California Street is the opening salvo in a two-year-long project to construct a “new multi-modal streetscape” from the north side of Dupont Circle up to California Street, Northwest. It will include the construction of a plaza, or “deckover,” above the Connecticut Avenue underpass between Dupont Circle and Q Street, Northwest, as well as upgraded sidewalks, streetlights, traffic signals, and new protected bike lanes along the road.
What will change on Connecticut Avenue?
The deckover portion of the project, between Dupont Circle and Q Street, will cover the underpass. A rendering of the proposed plaza provided to Washingtonian by the DC Department of Transportation shows an open, curbless plaza protected from the adjoining service roads by warning pavers and precast “boulders.” As of now, there are no plans for any permanent landscaping on the plaza, but Jeffrey Rueckgauer, an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner representing the area, notes that this could change depending on community needs.
The new space is intended to be pedestrian friendly and an “event space,” according to an April 2025 Powerpoint produced by DDOT. The website for the deckover project also states that the “space can also be utilized for special events such as a farmer’s market, outdoor movies, music, plays, and cultural events.” The underpass will remain, with vehicles still able to drive north and south under the circle on Connecticut Avenue. A pedestrian crossing will connect the east and west sides of the street.
In addition to the deckover, DDOT will complete a number of streetscape improvements on Connecticut between Q and California streets, including new pavers for the sidewalks, as well as new curbs, gutters, and ADA-accessible ramps. The streetlights and traffic signals will also be upgraded. It will also include the addition of protected bike lanes, with connections to the existing Columbia Road and R Street bike lanes and to the future 20th Street protected bike lanes, according to the April Powerpoint.
How long will construction take?
The entire project is expected to take two years, with completion in the spring of 2027. This is accelerated from the original 27-month timeline, because the streetscape and deckover construction will now happen concurrently.
Construction will occur in sections, with the goal of minimizing impacts to the public and to businesses along Connecticut Avenue. In the first phase, beginning today, crews will work along the median from California to S streets, and then move south. During each phase, crews will only work on one side of the street. The deckover construction will begin in earnest later this summer.
What are the traffic impacts of the project?
The streetscape work will require some lane closures and parking restrictions but a single lane of traffic will be maintained at all times, meaning no detours will be necessary. Pedestrian access to businesses and residences will be maintained at all times.
Detours will be required during the deckover work, with vehicles using 19th Street for one block and Q Street from 19th back to Connecticut to bypass the construction zone. There are plans for a separate bus and truck detour route using Florida and Massachusetts Avenues, according to a May 2023 project update from DDOT.
This is big project. How much does it all cost?
The total price tag for the project is expected to be $37.8 million, but DC won’t be paying for all of that; approximately a quarter of the funding will come from the Federal Highway Trust Fund.
What’s the reasoning behind the project?
The ANC’s Rueckgauer says the deckover project has been a long time coming. The initial idea dates back to the 1960s, when, he says, Dupont Circle residents decided that they wanted to address the “eyesore” of a “big open pit in the middle of the street.” This was before Home Rule and during a time when car-friendly infrastructure was more popular. Discussions around the deckover really became serious about 15 years ago, he says, as public opinion began to shift toward creating more pedestrian-friendly spaces. The pandemic fueled that more.
“It’s been a journey,” Rueckgauer says. “The idea here is that it creates a cover where there was that hole in the ground, and it turns it into a space that the community can use as a plaza or a meeting place.” He says he’s heard a lot of positive feedback from his constituents, many of whom are excited about how much more convenient and walkable the space will be. “They’re very happy that there’s finally going to be something that beautifies the space, and something that creates a connection between both sides of the street.”
Are there people who oppose the project?
The deckover project is not without controversy or opponents. The group “Save Connecticut Avenue.” which also has run campaigns against bike lanes, opposes the deckover. Lee Mayer, who heads the group, says he worries about the impact of the construction on local businesses. He’s also critical of the value it will bring to the neighborhood, calling it an “incredible waste of taxpayer dollars.”
In January, the Dupont Circle Citizens Association also published a resolution against the project, citing among their concerns the lack of shade on the plaza as well as the absence of a city agency “to assure the prompt removal of trash and other debris that may be deposited there.”
The project has also drawn fire from nearby residents including John Hassel, who has lived on 19th Street near the circle for the past 20 years. He primarily worries about the impacts of the traffic detour down his street and adds that many of the project’s proponents don’t live directly on the detour route. “We’ve got a problem on 19th Street right now. We have oversized vehicles illegally coming up and down street. So we’re we’re bracing for a lot of disruption during the project,” Hassel says. “I love public infrastructure and public space. It’s why I live here so I don’t have to drive. But they didn’t think through this project very well.”
