One of D.C.’s most convoluted intersections will soon be disassembled: Tuesday marks one large step in the process of dismantling what’s known as “Dave Thomas Circle.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser tweeted that the Wendy’s restaurant, at Florida and New York avenues in Northeast, will close Tuesday, allowing the District to move forward with plans to reconfigure the intersection.
An update on Dave Thomas Circle: We were informed today that the last day of operations for the Wendy’s will be next Tuesday, & they will vacate the premise by 9/30.
Onward to a less confusing and safer intersection. Grateful for the advocacy of neighbors who helped us get here.
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) September 18, 2021
“The last day of operations will be today, and they will vacate the premises at the end of the month,” Everett Lott, interim director of the District’s Department of Transportation, told WTOP Tuesday.
The intersection has ranked among the most accident-prone in the District.
“We also noticed about 80% of the crashes were side-swipes or rear-end crashes, which is consistent with driver confusion,” Lott said. “We’re going to eliminate the confusion, and make it safer for all modes of travelers.”
The District is still working on the minutiae of its final plans for the design of the future intersection, which will add two-way traffic to First Street Northeast and restore two-way traffic on Florida Avenue Northeast.
“We’ve gone through several iterations of the the design, based on input that we’ve received from the community,” Lott said. The final version “will be completed in October.”
The new intersection will add protected bike lanes going east and west on Florida Avenue.
With the removal of the restaurant and the redesigning of the area, three public park spaces will be added to the intersection.
“It’ll provide green spaces for people to gather, and also create safe spaces for people to maneuver through that particular intersection,” Lott said.
Streetlights will be replaced. Curbs will be upgraded with ramps. High-visibility pavement markings and signage will be included.
In February, the District secured the area through eminent domain.
Wendy’s has not yet announced where it plans to relocate the restaurant.
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