Long-Term Closure of Center Drive at Old Georgetown Road Begins on January 9
The construction of the new 11-story Surgery, Radiology and Laboratory Medicine (SRLM) addition to the Clinical Center will have major implications for the northwest portion of the Bethesda Campus.
Beginning Monday, January 9, 2023, the Center Drive at Old Georgetown Road entrance/exit will close for the next 5 years until approximately Summer 2028 to allow for a dedicated construction entrance for materials and equipment deliveries.
Next, on Monday, March 6, 2023, the upper portion of Convent Drive (currently one-way) will close as part of the SRLM construction, requiring the P-1 entrance/exit for Clinical Center visitor parking to close. Please note, only the entrance will close and parking will still be available on the P-1 level. All hospital patients and visitors will be encouraged to use valet parking or the P-3 entrance/exit on Memorial Drive.
The following graphic depicts the two phases of closures in early 2023:
Center Drive/Old Georgetown Road Closure on January 9 – Important Changes:
- Pedestrian Access - pedestrian access at Center/Old Georgetown Road will close. Nearby access includes the portal to the north behind the fire house and the entrance/exit at South Drive; inside of campus, a detour route will be developed from Old Georgetown Road to the Clinical Center
- Vehicle Access for Old Georgetown Road Entrances/Exits – new expanded hours
- Lincoln Drive: 5am – 9pm, Monday – Friday; Weekends/Holidays 6am – 4pm, entrance and exit
- South Drive: 6am – 7pm, Monday – Friday, entrance and exit
- Access to MLP-9 Parking Garage – for Building 10 staff, access to MLP-9 from Convent Drive available from the north (inbound) and south (inbound and outbound
- Access to Safra Lodge (Building 65), Buildings 60 and 61 – near the entrance at South Drive and Old Georgetown Road, a new roadway is available to access these buildings from the south; signage will direct visitors to this location
- New Visitor Parking – Lot 18, a new visitor parking lot with 104 spaces will open in early 2023; located on the south side of campus near Lot 41, serviced by the Campus and Campus Limited Shuttle Routes
Convent Drive (Upper Portion) Closure on March 6 – Important Changes:
- Early Morning Access to Building 10 ACRF Parking – once the P-1 entrance closes, P-3 will see an influx of visitor traffic, particularly during the morning rush. To offset, during the hours of 5:30am – 9:30am both lanes of traffic will be inbound only (no vehicles will be allowed to exit). A queuing lane for vehicle inspection and COVID-19 safety checks will be utilized along the frontage road to the north of the Clinical Center CRC
- Other Parking Options – although MLP-9 and the ACRF underground parking will continue to be available, employees working in Building 10 are encouraged to take advantage of the Building 10 Express Shuttle weekdays from 6:30am – 9:30am and 4:30pm – 7:30pm between Lots 41 and 42 and the Building 10 South Entrance
- Access to MLP-9 Parking Garage – for Building 10 staff, access to MLP-9 from Convent Drive available from the south only (inbound and outbound)
- Access to Northwest Child Care Center (Building 23) Parking Lot – the access road to the nearby child care center parking lot will move to the opposite end of the lot
In early 2023, signage throughout the Bethesda campus will be updated to reflect these new parking and traffic options, detour routes, closures and general wayfinding, particularly to assist patients and visitors. Reminders will be sent as we get closer to these important dates.
The SRLM is a major construction project that will further enhance the research capabilities and patient experience at NIH. But, no doubt, it will require sacrifice and modifications to commuting routines for many employees. The Office of Research Facilities, the Office of Research Services and the Clinical Center are confident the series of mitigation strategies implemented will minimize traffic and parking disruptions.
For more information about additional parking and traffic changes associated with the SRLM and other construction on the NIH campus, please visit the BuildingforAll website.
For questions, please contact:
Traffic, parking and access - Office of Research Services at orsinfo@mail.nih.gov or 301-594-6677.
SRLM and other construction projects - the Office of Research Facilities at orfresponse@mail.nih.gov.