A stretch of 17th Street is closed in downtown D.C. Friday as crews practice putting up a flood wall.
The street is expected to remain closed in both directions between Independence and Constitution avenues until about 3 p.m. Friday. While it was in place for Friday morning's commute, it's not expected to have an impact on the evening rush.
Crews are using the time to practice putting up a new flood wall. A series of posts will go across the roadway, and workers will snap panels into place to create a wall that will stretch across 17th Street.
The idea is that if flooding occurs, the wall will stop waters of the Potomac River from funnalling down 17th to the White House and other buildings in a low-lying area.
