Beach Drive is a busy commuter route in Northwest DC. In the past it was deteriorated for years, in despair of cracks, crumbling roadways, and six eroding bridges along the 6.5 mile stretch. Fort Myer Construction worked on the 4 phase project that rehabilitated this roadway which included: excavating the entire area, installing a new gravel base, and laying fresh asphalt. Phase 1 was wrapped up Spring 2017 and included improvements of all six bridges, one tunnel, and parking areas were rebuilt. Our teams improved the stormwater drainage and added new traffic safety features like guardrails and centerline rumble strips. The adjacent trail used by bikers, runners, and pedestrians, was widened to 10 feet in areas and a new trail was constructed along Beach Drive from Rock Creek Parkway to Tilden Street.
 

Project Significance

This was a highly visible project and has been covered by many local news outlets including The Washington Post. According to District Department of Transportation reports, as many as 26,000 cars travel through Beach Drive near the National Zoo each day. The Park Service reports about 40,000 people use the road and trail for recreation purposes at Rock Creek Park on weekends. Full closure to vehicle traffic was necessary to allow work to be completed since it was not possible to close half the road first and then the other half later due to space restrictions. Beach Drive is narrow with curvy sections and crews needed both lanes of traffic to accommodate construction, staging, and equipment. This meant congestion and rerouted roads for commuters to travel safely during this construction.

Matthew Wolniak, a consultant for National Park Service said “When it is done, it is going to be a beautiful facility, but in the short term there is going to be pain.”