Major road closures, checkpoints and fencing will be going up around the Washington Convention Center as security for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit that takes place Dec. 13 through 15.
The summit will include at least 60 leaders from African nations as well as President Joe Biden. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser requested the Secret Service designate the summit as a national special security event because of the large number of world leaders gathering in one place.
As part of the security, 8-foot, non-scalable fencing will go up around the convention center. The fencing is similar to what went up around the Supreme Court after the Roe v. Wade decision.
“There will be a hard perimeter that will be established around the convention center itself. So, there will be roadway closures, and then within that fencing, and security perimeters that will require, that if you have to enter into that, you will have to go through some level of screening,” D.C. Police Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll said.
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There also will be several road closures around the convention center starting next week. Parking restrictions begin Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 10 p.m.
“This is a national special security event because of the number of dignitaries that are attending, so there will be multiple motorcades that will be moving through the city at various times,” Carroll said.
Metro buses and trains will also be impacted. Several bus lines around the convention center will be rerouted. The Mount Vernon Metro Station will be closed beginning Monday at 5 p.m. through midnight Thursday, Dec. 15.
D.C. police said they have received about 10 requests for protest permits related to the summit.
President Biden also approved D.C.'s request for the National Guard's assistance during the event.
The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit was also declared a national special security event the last time it was held, in 2014.
Here’ what to expect, from D.C. police:
Road Closures
The following street will be closed to vehicle traffic from Sunday, December 11, 2022, at 4 p.m. through Saturday, December 17, 2022, at midnight:
- Mount Vernon Place from 7th Street to 9th Street, NW
The following streets will be closed for public safety to vehicle traffic from Monday, December 12, 2022, at 6 a.m. through Saturday, December 1,2022, at midnight:
- 7th Street from I Street to O Street, NW
- 8th Street from N Street to O Street, NW
- 9th Street from New York Avenue to O Street, NW
- K Street from 6th Street to 7th Street, NW
- K Street from 9th Street to 10th Street, NW
- L Street from 6th Street to 10th Street, NW
- M Street from 6th Street to 10th Street, NW
- N Street from 6th Street to 10th Street, NW
- New York Avenue from 6th Street to 10th Street, NW
- Massachusetts Avenue from 9th Street to 10th Street, NW
Emergency No Parking
The following streets will be posted as Emergency No Parking from Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at 10:00 p.m. through Saturday, December 17, 2022, at midnight:
- 7th Street from Massachusetts Avenue to O Street, NW
- 9th Street from H Street to O Street, NW
- 10th Street from New York Avenue to N Street, NW
- 11th Street from H Street to L Street, NW
- 12th Street from K Street to Massachusetts Avenue, NW
- 12th Street from H Street to I Street, NW
- 13th Street from H Street to I Street, NW
- H Street from 13th Street to 14th Street, NW
- K Street from 6th Street to 10th Street, NW
- Mount Vernon Place from 7th Street to 9th Street, NW
- L Street from 6th Street to 12th Street, NW
- M Street from 6th Street to 10th Street, NW
- N Street from 6th Street to 10th Street, NW
- Street from 6th Street to 9th Street, NW
- New York Avenue from 6th Street to 14th Street, NW
- Massachusetts Avenue from 6th Street to 13th Street, NW
The complete traffic advisory can be found here.
