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Potomac River Tunnel Project
Capital Crescent Trail (CSO 028) Construction Site
Water Street Northwest Construction Detours and Closures
Greetings, Neighbors.
Starting on or about the week of May 12, 2025, DC Water will implement temporary traffic lane closures, trail detours, and parking restrictions on the 3500 block of Water Street Northwest near the Capital Crescent Trail, weather permitting. The trail will remain accessible throughout construction. The temporary detours direct pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and workers around the work zone.
DC Water is building a facility here to redirect the overflow from the sewers into the tunnel. During this initial mobilization phase, the contractor will construct the following.
- A new trail on the west side of the aqueduct to direct trail users around the construction site area.
- A path on the north side of Water Street to direct pedestrians and bicyclists under the aqueduct.
- Two lanes under the aqueduct: one for trail users and the Washington Canoe Club, and another for accessing the construction site.
Water Street Northwest Work
- Start Date: Week of May 12, 2025, weather permitting.
- Time: Monday–Friday from 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
- Location: 3500 block of Water St NW
- Traffic Pattern Changes and Pedestrian/Bicycle Detours:
- Traffic: Temporary lane closure during non-peak hours, between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
- Parking restrictions will be implemented on the south side of Water Street, NW in front of the Potomac Boat Club.
- Pedestrian and Bicyclist Detours: Flaggers will direct trail users around the work zone. Please adhere to the flagger's directions and construction signage.
- See the map below for additional details.
Map: The traffic pattern changes begin near the Aqueduct. The Capital Crescent Trail will remain open to users. Parking restrictions will be in place in front of the Potomac Boat Club.
Important Information
Commuters and pedestrians will notice road signs and flagging personnel directing them through the temporary closures.
Please plan your travel routes accordingly and anticipate potential delays. Traffic control measures will be in place to guide motorists safely through the area.
Project Details
DC Water is constructing the Potomac River Tunnel and support structures to capture combined sewer overflows (CSOs), a mixture of sewage and stormwater, and redirect it to DC Water's Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant. The tunnel will begin operating in 2030. At the K and 30th streets site, DC Water will construct an underground facility to connect to the sewer outfall and direct the overflows to the tunnel.
The project is needed to reduce overflows polluting the Potomac River and, ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay. The tunnel also ensures compliance with the 2005 Federal Consent Decree entered by DC Water, the District of Columbia, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the US Department of Justice, as amended in January 2016. The tunnel will reduce the volume of these overflows to the Potomac River by 93% and reduce their frequency from approximately 74 events to four events in a year of average rainfall.
Learn more at www.dcwater.com/prt.
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