The Army will celebrate its 250th birthday with a parade this Saturday, June 14, in DC. And the events will cause road closures and other transit changes in the area.
Road Closures
In Northern Virginia, the George Washington Memorial Parkway will be closed in both directions between U.S. 50 and I-395 from 6 p.m. Friday, June 13, through 6 a.m. Sunday, June 15. And on Route 27/Washington Boulevard, the right lane will be closed in both directions starting at 8 p.m. Wednesday, and all lanes will be closed in both directions from 6 p.m. Friday through 10 p.m. Saturday. The Arlington Memorial Bridge will also be closed from Friday until 6 a.m. Monday.
Thinking about driving into DC? Think again. You can find all the street closures and emergency no-parking regulations on the DC police website.
Metro
Metro is on a regular Saturday schedule. The Mall entrance to the Smithsonian station will be closed, but the 12th Street entrance will still be open. For the festival, Metro suggests using the L’Enfant Plaza, Federal Center SW, or Archives/Navy Memorial stations. For the parade, go with Farragut West, Farragut North, Federal Triangle, or Archives/Navy Memorial. As usual, switching trains is the time-killer — wherever you’re coming from, get as close as you can on one train and walk the rest of the way.
National Airport
Reagan National Airport says that flights the night of the parade are likely to be suspended. Check with your airline if you’re booked to fly that evening. (And with the closure of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, you may need to figure out a different way to get there altogether.)
On the Mall
If you’re going to the parade, or the all-day military fair on the National Mall beforehand, know that you’re going to have to leave extra time to get though security. And know what you can and can’t bring.
The DC police have released their list of items that are banned at what’s known as “National Security Special Events.” They include:
- Aerosols
- Ammunition
- Animals other than service/guide animals
- Backpacks, bags, and soft-sided coolers exceeding size restrictions (18” x 13” x 7”)
- Bicycles
- Balloons
- Hard-sided coolers of any size
- Drones and other unmanned aircraft systems
- Explosives
- Firearms
- Flammable liquids
- Folding chairs or camp chairs
- Glass, thermal or metal containers
- Knives
- Laser pointers
- Mace/pepper spray
- Multitools (Leatherman, Gerber, etc.)
- Packages
- Range finder
- Razors
- Recreational motorized mobility devices
- Selfie sticks
- Signs exceeding size restrictions (20’ x 3’ x 1/4”)
- Structures
- Supports for signs and placards
- Toy guns
- Tripods and monopods
- Umbrellas (umbrellas without metal tips will be permitted)
- Weapons of any kind
- Any other items determined to be potential safety hazards
The parade starts at 6:30 p.m. and goes until 9:30 on Constitution Avenue NW between 23rd Street and 15th Street. Tickets are free, but you have to register online.
The event includes include more than 6,000 soldiers in uniform from all eras of American military service, as well as flyovers, military bands, and period-specific equipment. It will also feature contemporary weapons such as Abrams tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, Strykers, and more than 50 helicopters. Fireworks will end the show.
It’s the capper to a day of Army-related events on the National Mall, which starts at 11 a.m. Attendees can see military equipment up close, attend meet-and-greets with soldiers, and catch performances by Noah Hicks, Scotty Hasting, and DJ Nyla.
Some of the equipment, including the Abrams tanks, are projected to cause millions of dollars worth of damage to DC streets, NBC News reported.
Feature image courtesy Arthur/stock.adobe.com
