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Construction has started on a yearslong project to transform a stretch of Connecticut Avenue in D.C.鈥檚 Dupont Circle neighborhood. As part of the construction, the city is planning to build a deck over the stretch of Connecticut Avenue between the circle and Q Street, creating a plaza with more public spaces.
Staging and maintenance of traffic were planned for Monday, a D.C. Department of Transportation spokesman said.
Just north of the circle, there are orange cones and a digital sign informing drivers about the project.
鈥淧ublic space is such a premium, we would love to have more public space,鈥� Bill McLeod, executive director of the Dupont Circle Business Improvement District, said. 鈥淲hy do we have an open pit in the neighborhood, when we should have some sort of plaza over the open air pit?鈥�
Calling the project 鈥渢ransformational,鈥� McLeod said the construction will result in a 鈥渘ew, emerging space, with the opportunity to have chocolate festivals, art markets, the expanded farmer鈥檚 market.鈥�
Between the north side of Dupont Circle and north to California Street in Northwest D.C., the streets will be redesigned to create new lights, traffic signals and crosswalks, and infrastructure that emphasizes pedestrian and cyclist safety, according to the project website.
The plan also includes a plaza, created using a new deck that will be built over the Connecticut Avenue underpass.
A sign near the project site said it will be funded with $8.4 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation and $29.4 million from the D.C. Department of Transportation.
鈥淥nce it鈥檚 done, I think it鈥檒l be great,鈥� said Sandy Campbell, one of the owners of a salon along Connecticut Avenue.
But, Campbell said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 going to cause congestion in the area, construction probably keeps people away some. With everything else that鈥檚 going on in the D.C. market and the economy, and people losing their jobs, even though in the end it鈥檚 going to be good, it鈥檚 going to probably be a year and a half of some hard times.鈥�
All parts of the project are expected to take about two years to finish, McLeod said, adding that all of the roads will remain open during the work. Streets may be narrowed, he said, but there will be two-way traffic at all times.
McLeod anticipates the new space will include caf茅 seating during the day and opportunities for festivals in the evening. It could also host the neighborhood farmer鈥檚 market or antiques market on the weekends.
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