The proposed National Law Enforcement Museum (NLEM) will be the largest and most comprehensive law enforcement museum in the world anticipated to draw hundreds of thousands of annual visitors each year to Northwest Washington, D.C. 

The Museum faces a particular challenge with regard to transportation since a portion of the Museum’s three levels is to be built directly beneath E Street, requiring traffic to be detoured during a significant period of the construction.  A traffic analysis evaluated the impact of the street closure on nine nearby intersections and identified traffic signal phasing/timing modifications and other operational improvements to mitigate temporary construction impacts.  

Wells + Associates prepared an extensive Traffic Control Plan (TCP) that incorporated three phases of construction.  Phase I involved the utility relocation within the sidewalk area while maintaining traffic.  Construction of a minimum six-foot covered pedestrian walkway is required to maintain pedestrian traffic.  Phase II involves the complete closure of E Street during excavation work and construction of the building.   A security check point for large vehicles is required before vehicles proceed onto the site and associated queues cannot back up into the adjacent intersection.  Site-specific ingress and egress of these trucks is depicted on the TCP.  The last phase involves the final construction of the roadway and pedestrian facilities and will be built while the roadway is open to traffic. 

A Signing and Pavement Marking Plan was prepared depicting the final highway signs and striping including a proposed bicycle lane and a midblock pedestrian crosswalk to easily access the museum.