Washington DC Shuts Down a Week Before Biden’s Inauguration

Presidential inaugurations are usually attended by thousands of spectators, both local and non-local who gather to watch the ceremony. This year will be different. Washington, D.C. has instituted a range of restrictions that began last Tuesday and are expected to last through to the Inauguration Day events. D.C officials are working alongside Secret Service to ensure that that the city doesn’t witness any more violence after a pro-Trump mob breached the security of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and left five people dead.

The Mall and the area around the mall will be closed to the public a couple of days before President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris take their oaths of office. As of today, city traffic in parts of the city will either be prohibited or limited to residents and businesses only. The metro has closed down stations in the heart of the city and near the Mall. These street closures along with parking restrictions will affect streets around Capitol Hill, the Lincoln Memorial, Union Station, the Mall, and the White House. The Secret Service may change these inauguration closures as it sees fit as we approach Inauguration Day.

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced most of the inaugural events online. Part of heightened security measures includes erected fencing around the Capitol, businesses, and other federal buildings throughout the city. Barricades that range from metal barriers to tall metal fencing reinforced with concrete and topped with razor wire dot the city.

The National Guard has been deployed in the city and an additional 20,000 troops or more from other states are also expected to arrive before the inauguration.

D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) thanked residents and local businesses for their cooperation and flexibility and assured them that she would work with federal officials to ensure a smooth inauguration. “Clearly we are in uncharted waters,” she said in her statement.