WASHINGTON — Editor's Note: The video above shows traffic delays in D.C. caused by trucker convoys on March 16.
If you're starting to feel like the words "trucker convoy" are giving you major deja vu, you're not wrong. For the third straight Friday, DC Police are warning commuters about potential traffic delays due to trucker demonstration activity in the DMV.
Heavy traffic, delays and road closures are expected along I-395 from Virginia heading into D.C. all afternoon, MPD said Friday. By 2:45 p.m., police were tweeting about "heavy traffic volume" and closures in the following areas:
- Inbound 14th Street Bridge Toll Road (HOV)
- Inbound 395 at Exit 3 to 12th Street Tunnel
- Eastbound on Maine Avenue at the split to I-395 split/Wharf
"[The] DC Police Department is monitoring closely and prepared to implement traffic control measures as needed," DC Homeland Security & Emergency Management tweeted Friday on its AlertDC account.
Various truck convoys have been in the D.C. region since March 4, protesting COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates, despite the fact that D.C.'s mayor ended nearly all COVID-related mandates in the District in late February. Truckers staying at the Hagerstown Speedway held rallies, made loops on the Beltway, met with Congressional leaders and eventually made their way into the District itself.
MPD closed a number of streets and highway exits several days this week in an effort to keep traffic moving.
On Wednesday, after major delays and road closures lasted more than three hours in the middle of the day, truckers called into WUSA9 placing the traffic blame on MPD's actions. The convoy participants said MPD closing exits placed additional stress on all D.C. drivers and prevented many from entering downtown during peak rush-hour commutes. Other trucker convoy participants questioned the communication from authorities and continued to call for action from Congress.
The protests have been conducted in a similar fashion to the truck driver protests that halted Canadian government operations in the capital of Ottawa over the last month.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) met with, and even rode along with, the truck drivers last week, including meeting with leaders in a livestreamed press conference.
Interested drivers can sign up for all safety alerts in the District at alert.dc.gov or follow DC Police's traffic-specific Twitter account: @DCPoliceTraffic for real-time updates.