Beach Drive Rehabilitation

Duration:

45 seconds

A recent three-year project to completely rehabilitate Beach Drive is done! Enjoy this smooth surface for scenic drives, walks, bicycling, skating, etc.

 

What did we do?

Over the last three years, the National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration have:

• Resurfaced 6.5 miles of road.

• Installed new pavement markers, center-line rumble strips, guardrails and road signs along the whole road.

• Repaved parking lots along the full length of Beach Drive.

• Improved safety markings and crosswalks throughout Beach Drive.

• Replaced traffic signals and streetlights.

• Rehabilitated or repaired six bridges.
• Protected Rock Creek Park's ecological resources and historic landscape by working within the existing road's footprint.

 

Slide to see before and after

Left image
Beach Drive in 2016
Credit: NPS / Marcey Frutchey

Right image
Beach Drive in 2019
Credit: NPS / Rachel Hendrix

 

New bio-retention ponds help improve water quality in Rock Creek Park by reducing stormwater runoff from Beach Drive.

NPS / Jonathan Shafer

How did we do it?

The rehabilitation project involved full-depth pavement reconstruction. This means we dug out and recycled whole sections of road and put in a new, gravel base before we put asphalt on top of it. In all, we:

• Recycled more than 23,000 tons of asphalt.
• Recycled more than 110,000 square yards of concrete from of the former road's surface and foundation.
• Installed 6.5 miles of new pavement.

We also installed a barrier to keep bamboo from damaging the Rock Creek Trail next to the Smithsonian National Zoo.

 

New trees planted during rehabilitation project next to resurfaced Rock Creek Trail.

NPS / Mike McMahon

Besides replacing the road surface, we also worked with the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and DC Water to coordinate construction on roads and pipes in and near Rock Creek Park. The National Park Service values our partners' contributions to this project.

Workers planted more than 300 new, native trees along Beach Drive. They also worked to resurface parts of the paved, multi-use trail that runs next to the road. When you want to go for a hike or bike ride, be sure to read up on tips to plan your visit.

 

Beach Drive near Joyce Road NW

Left image
Beach Drive near US Park Police Station in 2016
Credit: NPS / Marcey Frutchey

Right image
Beach Drive near US Park Police Station in 2019
Credit: NPS / Rachel Hendrix

 

New pavement, railing and signs near the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway

Left image
Beach Drive before rehabilitation in 2016
Credit: NPS / Marcey Frutchey

Right image
Beach Drive after rehabilitation in 2019
Credit: NPS / Jonathan Shafer

 

 

Project Schedule

The Beach Drive rehabilitation project began on September 22, 2016, and ended on-time on September 27, 2019. The four segments of the project were:

• Segment 1 (Red) - Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway NW to Park Road/Tilden Street NW - 1.82 miles (September 22, 2016 - August 27, 2017).

• Segment 2 (Green) - Park Road/Tilden Street NW to Broad Branch Road/Blagden Avenue NW - 0.34 miles (August 28, 2017 - January 8, 2018).

• Segment 3 (Yellow) - Broad Branch Road/Blagden Avenue NW to Joyce Road NW - 1.59 miles (August 28, 2017 - July 9, 2018).
• Segment 4 (Black) - Joyce Road NW to DC/MD border - 2.70 miles (July 9, 2019 - September 27, 2019).