The projects

Rehabilitation of Brentwood Road, Ninth Street and Edgewood Street

This project, which includes resurfacing the roads and upgrading the curbs, gutters and sidewalks, began in the spring and will probably continue into summer, but it is more than half done. "People have adjusted to the traffic there," said Ali Shakeri, the D.C. Department of Transportation program manager.

Replacement of Ninth Street Bridge over New York Avenue and railroad tracks

The bridge has to be replaced for safety's sake, Shakeri said. Construction, underway since the spring and almost one-third done, is scheduled to be completed in spring 2011. The effect on New York Avenue traffic includes lane shifts and a reduction in lane width. There are intermittent single-lane closures at off-peak hours, but three lanes are maintained in the rush-hour direction during peak periods. Ramps for the bridge will close periodically.

Replacement of the New York Avenue Bridge over railroad tracks

This bridge is also deteriorating and needs to be replaced. The project, which is about to begin, is scheduled for completion in summer 2011. Of the five, this one will be the biggest bottleneck. All traffic must be moved from one side of the span to the other so that one section at a time can be demolished. As a result, a half-mile section of New York Avenue will shrink from six to four lanes in the spring. That pattern, which reduces the avenue's capacity by a third, will prevail at all times.

Traffic safety improvements at the junction of First Street, Florida Avenue, New York Avenue and Eckington Place

Of the five, this project will probably offer the most improvement in traffic flow and traveler safety when it's done. Changes in the traffic pattern and upgrades to the signals will create what Shakeri describes as a "virtual circle" of traffic flow centered on the Wendy's restaurant. The project, just getting started, is scheduled to be done in spring. This one does not involve lane reductions on New York Avenue. But bicyclists and pedestrians will be diverted at Florida Avenue.

Reconstruction of First Street from K Street to New York Avenue

The design for this project is nearly complete, but it's on hold pending resolution of utility and development issues in the rapidly evolving NOMA neighborhood. The project will provide a new streetscape, with an upgraded road, curbs, sidewalks, streetlights and traffic signals.

-- Robert Thomson