WASHINGTON — Editor's note: The related video above was published Nov. 18.
Temporary changes to the traffic patterns on 16th Street NW between H Street NW and K Street NW, also known as Black Lives Matter (BLM) Plaza, have been implemented Sunday and will last until next month, the D.C. Transportation Department says.
The District Department of Transportation said in a news release that the changes went into effect on March 14. According to DDOT's statement, one lane on 16th Street will be reopened for traffic going both directions.
Black Lives Matter Plaza has been closed to traffic since social justice movements this past summer sparked by police brutality cases, notably, the death of George Floyd in late May.
DDOT traffic control officers and the Metropolitan Police Department will continue to monitor travel conditions on the road along the plaza to help make sure everyone going through the corridor is safe, officials said.
Below is a look at the changes that were released by the city:
Beginning on Sunday, March 14, 2021, one travel lane on 16th Street NW will be reopened in each direction. Northbound vehicles will access 16th Street from H Street NW. Southbound vehicles will access 16th Street from K Street NW. Drivers on Eye (I) Street NW will be able to continue west or make a right on to northbound 16th Street NW. No left turns will be permitted from I Street NW to southbound 16th Street NW. The center of the plaza will be designated for pedestrians and visitors and protected from vehicular traffic. The new traffic configuration will be temporary, lasting from mid-March through mid-April.