News Release

Annual test installation of levee to close part of 17th Street on September 29

NPS photo

News Release Date: September 28, 2021

Contact: Mike Litterst, 202-306-4166

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, September 29, the National Park Service will close 17th Street between Constitution Avenue NW and Independence Avenue SW from 4 a.m. until approximately 4 p.m. to perform a test installation of the 17th Street levee. Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists should plan alternative routes accordingly to bypass the closed area. The annual test installation is necessary to ensure the levee closure can be erected properly in the event of high water, and is also a requirement of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which constructed and regulates the levee system and closure.

Consisting of aluminum panels between steel posts, the 17th Street levee closure is part of the Potomac Park Levee System in downtown Washington, D.C. In the event of high water, the removable structure can be erected across 17th Street NW south of Constitution Avenue NW to reduce flood risk to human safety and critical infrastructure downtown and in Southwest parts of the district from flooding of the Potomac River. The 17th Street levee is operated and maintained by the National Park Service.NPS