This Week - Ongoing Work - 3/18/02 through 3/22/02
Temporary Visitor Receiving Facility
The existing temporary visitor receiving facility located on East Capitol Street Extension will be removed later this spring to clear the way for CVC construction. A new and more substantial Temporary Visitor Receiving Facility will be located on the South Grounds of the Capitol on a grassy area just south of the House Wing and it will remain in operation until the CVC project is completed. Visitors will arrive to the new facility from the west as the East Front Plaza is closed for construction.
- Temporary fencing is being installed, and placement of footings continues on the lawn just south of the House Wing to prepare the site for installation of a new Temporary Visitor Receiving Facility.
Utility Work
Utility work is required in the pre-construction phase of the Capitol Visitor Center project. Utility lines will be moved in stages so that this construction work can take place at times intended to minimize disruption to traffic. Required materials are staged and will continue to be staged on the East Front grassy areas.
- South Barricade Entrance: House-side Utility Line Installation - Excavation and utility installation work will continue in the area located just north of the South Barricade Entrance and west of the drive lanes. Building access will not be affected.
- Senate-side Utility Line Installation - Excavation and utility installation will resume next week (during the Spring recess) in an area just north of the Senate Carriageway.
Tree Preservation
Trees of lasting and historic value, which have not reached the end of the their natural life span or are not sick, have been moved to new locations and are being treated to help ensure their survival. Some trees were removed to clear the way for project construction.
- Tree Maintenance - Pruning, mulching, and tree monitoring activities will continue.
- Tree Maintenance on New Jersey Avenue - Tree protection measures will be completed in an area adjacent to the parking lot to be constructed in the next few weeks in Upper Senate Park off of New Jersey Avenue NW.
Next Week - Anticipated Work - 3/25/02 through 3/29/02
Temporary Visitor Receiving Facility
- Temporary Visitor Receiving Facility on South Grounds - Temporary fencing installation and placement of footings on the South Grounds of the Capitol will continue to prepare the site for installation of a new Temporary Visitor Receiving Facility on the lawn just south of the House Wing. Work also will begin on a new 50-foot path that will connect two sidewalks at the southwest corner of Capitol Square where a new visitor information kiosk will be constructed. The path will allow electric carts access to the kiosk. The carts will be used to transport persons with disabilities from drop-off areas to the Temporary Visitor Receiving Facility.
Utility Work
- House-Side Utility Line Installation - Excavation and utility installation work will continue in the area north of the South Barricade entrance and west of the drive lanes. Pedestrian access will not be affected by this work, but the House Carriageway will be closed to vehicles during a portion of the Spring recess.
- North Barricade Entrance: Senate-side Utility Line Installation - Excavation and utility installation work will continue in the area just north of the Senate Carriageway. Pedestrian access will not be affected by this work, but the Senate Carriageway will be closed to vehicles during a portion of the Spring recess.
- Temporary Parking Lot Adjacent to New Jersey Avenue - Construction of a temporary parking lot in Upper Senate Park off of New Jersey Avenue is expected to begin in the next few weeks.
- Perimeter Fencing - Fencing around the perimeter of the CVC project area is expected to begin at the South Egg.
Tree Preservation
- Tree Maintenance - Pruning, mulching and tree monitoring activities will continue.
Capitol Dome
Interim maintenance work on the Capitol Dome will begin during the first week of the Spring recess. Construction vehicles will mobilize to the East Front Plaza near the center steps and a crane will be used to erect scaffolding around the base of the Dome (not the Dome itself) and on the West Plaza to the roof. This interim work should not be confused with the more comprehensive Dome Restoration Project, which is expected to begin following completion of the CVC project. This current activity will continue into early September 2002, but will not impede access to any building entrances. Work on the Capitol Dome is not related to the CVC project, but notice is provided here to alert Members and Staff of this activity.
Previous Week - 3/11/02 through 3/15/02
- Temporary Visitor Receiving Facility on South Grounds - Temporary fencing installation and placement of footings on the South Grounds of the Capitol began to prepare the site for installation of a new Temporary Visitor Receiving Facility on the lawn just south of the House Wing.
Utility Work
- South Barricade Entrance: House-side Utility Line Installation - Excavation and utility installation work continued in the area just north of the South Barricade Entrance and west of the drive lanes. Building access was not affected.
- North Barricade Entrance: Senate-side Utility Line Installation - Excavation and utility installation continued in an area near the North Barricade Entrance at Constitution Avenue. Building access was not affected.
Tree Preservation
- Tree Maintenance on New Jersey Avenue - Tree protection measures continued in an area adjacent to the parking lot to be constructed in the next few weeks in Upper Senate Park off of New Jersey Avenue.
- Tree Maintenance on the South Grounds - Tree root pruning was completed in the area just south of the House wing to preserve the integrity of the trees located near the site of the new Temporary Visitor Receiving Facility.
If you have any questions about the Capitol Visitor Center Project, please contact Tom Fontana, CVC Project Communications Officer for the Architect of the Capitol, at (202) 228-1310, or by e-mail at tfontana@aoc.gov
