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Freedom 250 Grand Prix brings traffic closure to DC
Preparations for the upcoming Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C., are triggering road closures and traffic delays across the district.
WASHINGTON - The Freedom 250 Grand Prix is now a little more than two weeks away, but the impact of the race will be felt in the District before then.
What we know:
D.C. Police released an updated traffic advisory Thursday, and while the race itself is on August 22nd and 23rd, road closures start much earlier.
It comes as a result of a 1.66 mile course that includes stretches of Pennsylvania, Constitution, and Independence Avenues.
Specifics can be found here.
Meanwhile, the race is also having impacts that people may not expect. As previously reported by the Washington Post, the National Gallery of Art – which is located within the racetrack – actually studied whether the vibrations from the cars would affect the art.
In a statement, a museum spokesperson said: "In preparation for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, the National Gallery conducted an extensive vibration study and based on the results we have implemented a set of measures to ensure the safety of our staff, visitors, collection, and facilities during the race. While we are not releasing the specifics, I can share that any such measures are only being taken out of a great abundance of caution."
What they're saying:
Fox 5 DC heard mixed reviews from both residents and tourists Thursday in Northwest.
"Sometimes I think about if like George Washington got dropped into modern day, and he’s like walking around, and he just sees this [Indycar], and it’s like vroom," said an excited Shane McCutchon.
"It just seems bizarre, and very expensive," countered Michael Zeliff. "You know, just putting this together down here. The expense of it is unbelievable."
"We have these world-class collections, amazing variety of stuff, and it’s being put in danger for what? For what reason? There’s no reason for this to happen here," said Eric Lindquist.
Dig deeper:
Proponents of the race include both President Donald Trump and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has said she expects the race to attract 140,000 daily fans who will bolster the local economy.