Airport delays, highway closures anticipated as Fourth of July journey surge begins

WASHINGTON (7News) — Officials are urging vacationers to not wait till the final minute to make Fourth of July vacation plans, warning that main disruptions will start as early as Thursday and intensify by way of the vacation weekend as Washington prepares for large-scale America 250 celebrations.

The warning comes because the area braces for a mixture of heavy journey demand, heightened safety, highway closures, and flight disruptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The largest piece of recommendation officers are giving is: don’t wait till Friday to start out planning. The first journey impacts start Thursday, however the largest disruptions arrive Friday and proceed by way of the Fourth of July.

Airport disruptions start Thursday, peak on Friday, and proceed by way of July 4.

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Officials mentioned vacationers could start seeing delays at Reagan National Airport on Thursday as aerial rehearsals get underway forward of deliberate vacation occasions.

More vital disruptions are anticipated on Friday, when no flights are scheduled for a number of hours within the early afternoon. On Independence Day itself, the airport will halt scheduled flights after midday as airspace exercise will increase over the District.

Travelers are being suggested to examine flight statuses earlier than arriving on the airport and to contemplate various regional airports similar to Dulles International or Baltimore/Washington International if flexibility permits.

Ground journey is anticipated to be closely impacted

In addition to air journey disruptions, officers are warning of widespread highway closures and heavy congestion all through downtown Washington, notably close to main occasion zones tied to America 250 programming.

Security checkpoints are anticipated to be considerably elevated, with a visual regulation enforcement presence throughout town. Officials say the mix of closures and crowds might create substantial delays for each residents and guests.

Officials urge early planning

Clint Osborn, the Director of the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, emphasised that even skilled guests mustn’t assume situations will resemble earlier years, given the dimensions of deliberate occasions and safety posture.

“Plan ahead. Be ready for an increased security presence, crowds and road closures,” he mentioned. “If you’re going downtown and you’ve done this before, don’t assume you know what it’s going to look like.”

Metro anticipated to be quickest choice — however crowded

Officials say Metrorail is anticipated to be probably the most environment friendly strategy to transfer across the metropolis throughout peak congestion durations, although trains and stations are more likely to be crowded.

Hot situations and enormous crowds are additionally anticipated on platforms, including one other layer of issue for vacation vacationers navigating the system.

Authorities say the important thing message heading into the vacation is straightforward: plan early, anticipate delays, and construct further time into all journey plans because the area prepares for one among its busiest and most complicated Independence Day durations in years.

Road closures in D.C.

On Friday, starting at 6 a.m., the next streets will closed to automobile site visitors:

• Inbound Case Bridge ramp to twelfth Street Expressway/Tunnel
• Constitution Avenue from twenty third Street to 18th Street, NW
• Constitution Avenue from 14th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
• twenty second Street from C Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
• twenty first Street from Virginia Avenue to Constitution Avenue, NW
• Henry Bacon Drive from Constitution Avenue to Lincoln Memorial Circle, NW
• C Street from twenty first Street to Virginia Avenue, NW
• nineteenth Street from Virginia Avenue to Constitution Avenue, NW
• 14th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Independence Avenue, SW
• twelfth Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Avenue, NW
• tenth Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Avenue, NW
• seventh Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Avenue, NW
• sixth Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Avenue, NW

On Friday, starting at 10 p.m., the next road might be closed to automobile site visitors:

• Westbound I395 exit to Maine Avenue/twelfth Street Expressway (All site visitors will proceed west on I395 to Virginia)
• Maiden Lane from twelfth Street to Maine Avenue, SW
• Southbound Potomac River Freeway cut up to Independence Avenue, Maine Avenue, and E Street, NW (all site visitors to I66 West)
• Eastbound Theodore Roosevelt Bridge ramp to Constitution Avenue, NW
• Eastbound Theodore Roosevelt Bridge ramp to Independence Avenue, NW
• Westbound E Street Expressway cut up to Potomac River Freeway/Ohio Drive (all site visitors to I66 West)
• The Arlington Memorial Bridge
• Independence Avenue from twenty third Street to twelfth Street, SW
• Maine Avenue from Independence Avenue to Ohio Drive, SW
• 14th Street Bridge Inbound, SW (ALL site visitors from Virginia will stay on eastbound I-395)
• 14th Street Bridge (HOV) Inbound, SW (ALL site visitors from Virginia will stay on eastbound I-395)
• twenty third Street from Constitution Avenue to Lincoln Memorial Circle
• Lincoln Memorial Circle
• Daniel French Drive from Lincoln Memorial Circle to Independence Avenue, SW
• Ohio Drive from Independence Avenue to the Ohio Drive Bridge
• Parkway Drive from Ohio Drive to Lincoln Memorial Circle, NW
• West Basin Drive from Independence Avenue to Ohio Drive, SW
• On Saturday, July 4, 2026, starting at 4:00 a.m., the next streets might be posted as Emergency No Parking:
• Pennsylvania Avenue from 18th Street to seventeenth Street, NW
• Virginia Avenue from twenty fourth Street to 18th Street, NW
• twenty third Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
• twentieth Street from E Street to Virginia Avenue, NW
• E Street from twentieth Street to 18th Street, NW
• nineteenth Street from E Street to Virginia Avenue, NW
• 18th Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
• seventeenth Street from H Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
• D Street from 18th Street to seventeenth Street, NW
• C Street from 18th Street to seventeenth Street, NW
• fifteenth Street from H Street to Lower Pennsylvania Avenue/E Street, NW
• New York Avenue from fifteenth Street to 14th Street, NW
• G Street from fifteenth Street to 14th Street, NW
• F Street from fifteenth Street to 14th Street, NW
• Upper Pennsylvania Avenue from fifteenth Street to 14th Street, NW
• E Street from 14th Street to twelfth Street, NW
• thirteenth Street from F Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
• twelfth Street from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
• eleventh Street from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
• tenth Street from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
• ninth Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
• eighth Street from E Street to D Street, NW
• D Street from ninth Street to sixth Street, NW
• seventh Street from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
• sixth Street from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
• C Street from sixth Street to third Street, NW
• fifth Street from E Street to Indiana Avenue, NW
• 4th Street from E Street to Indiana Avenue, NW
• third Street from Indiana Avenue/D Street, NW to C Street, SW
• Constitution Avenue from Pennsylvania Avenue to Louisiana Avenue, NW
• 2nd Street from C Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
• C Street from 2nd Street to 1st Street, NW
• 1st Street from D Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
• Louisiana Avenue from D Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
• New Jersey Avenue from D Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
• Independence Avenue from twelfth Street to third Street, SW
• Maryland Avenue from Independence Avenue to third Street, SW
• 4th Street from Independence Avenue to C Street, SW
• sixth Street from Independence Avenue to C Street, SW
• seventh Street from Independence Avenue to C Street, SW
• ninth Street from Independence Avenue to C Street, SW
• C Street from ninth Street to seventh Street, SW
• L’Enfant Plaza from Independence Avenue to ninth Street, SW
• twelfth Street from Independence Avenue to D Street, SW
• C Street from 14th Street to twelfth Street, SW
• D Street from 14th Street to twelfth Street, SW
• thirteenth Street from C Street to D Street, SW

On Saturday, starting at 4 a.m., the next streets might be closed:

• Exit 4 from eastbound I395
• Eastbound E Street Expressway ramp from southbound Potomac River Freeway to E Street, NW
• E Street Expressway ramp to E Street from the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge
• Virginia Avenue from twenty fourth Street to 18th Street, NW
• Pennsylvania Avenue from 18th Street to seventeenth Street, NW
• twentieth Street from E Street to Virginia Avenue, NW
• Eastbound E Street from twentieth Street to 18th Street, NW
• nineteenth Street from E Street to Virginia Avenue, NW
• 18th Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
• seventeenth Street from H Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
• Pennsylvania Avenue from fifteenth Street to third Street, NW
• fifteenth Street from H Street to Lower Pennsylvania Avenue/E Street, NW
• New York Avenue from fifteenth Street to 14th Street, NW
• 14th Street from F Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
• thirteenth Street from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
• twelfth Street from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
• ninth Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
• third Street from C Street, NW to C Street, SW
• Constitution Avenue from Pennsylvania Avenue to Louisiana Avenue, NW
• Independence Avenue from twelfth Street to Washington Avenue, SW
• Maryland Avenue from Independence Avenue to third Street, SW
• 4th Street from Independence Avenue to C Street, SW
• sixth Street from Independence Avenue to C Street, SW
• seventh Street from Independence Avenue to C Street, SW
• ninth Street from Independence Avenue to C Street, SW
• C Street from ninth Street to seventh Street, SW
• twelfth Street from Independence Avenue to D Street, SW
• C Street from 14th Street to twelfth Street, SW
• D Street from 14th Street to twelfth Street, SW
• thirteenth Street from C Street to D Street, SW

For extra info on highway closures within the D.C. space, go here.