Heads Up – H Street NE between 12th and 13th closed Sunday between 6 am and 11 am for an Emergency Response Exercise

From DDOT:

“On Sunday, August 24, 2014, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), along with District first responders, will conduct a DC Streetcar Emergency Drill on H Street NE to prepare for real-world streetcar operations on the H Street/Benning Road corridor.

The purpose of the exercise is to test operational coordination and preparedness of DC Streetcar and first responder personnel in the event of an incident involving a streetcar. The exercise will simulate a streetcar derailment caused by a collision between a DC Streetcar vehicle with passengers and an automobile on H Street NE. DC Streetcar personnel along with Metropolitan Police Department and DC Fire and EMS will coordinate and practice their evacuation and emergency protocols for dealing with such an incident.

The exercise will take place on the 1200 block of H Street NE and requires a temporary closure of H Street NE between 12th Street and 13th Street in both directions, between 6 am and 11 am. In addition, there will be parking restrictions on 12th Street and H Street (see attached temporary closure map).

During the drill, there will be significant emergency personnel on-site on the H Street corridor and residents are advised that this is only a drill and to use caution when traveling along the vicinity of the drill.

WMATA X2 bus stops on the 1200 block will be closed for the duration of the closure. Passengers are asked to board on the 1100 and 1300 blocks of H Street NE.

DETOURS:

• Westbound traffic on H Street NE will be detoured south at 13th Street, then west at G Street.
• Eastbound traffic on H Street NE will be detoured north at 12th Street, then east at I Street.
• 12th Street NE traffic will be directed to I Street to travel east.
• 13th Street NE traffic will be directed to G Street to travel west.”