WASHINGTON -
By June 11, the crowds of people who frequent U Street on a regular basis will have something else to contend with.
Constructions workers will be all over the neighborhood, and orange barrels and yellow tape will be everywhere as part of the Streetscape Project.
Residents have some questions about the impact.
"I'm concerned because the last meeting I went to, they said it won't be a problem at all," says resident Sharon Dreyfus.
Among the improvements in the Streetscape Project will be improvements to driveways and sidewalks. There will be decorative sidewalks in front of the Lincoln Theatre, reconstructed bus pads, new parking meters and new traffic signs.
"We are concerned because we have people coming in every day," says Frank Smith of the African American Civil War Museum. "A bunch of tour buses come in here, resident try to walk around, businesses trying to stay open."
The same kind of Streetscape Project is already in progress in Adams Morgan.
"There is going to be considerable impact, not like in other streetscapes," says D.C. councilmember Jim Graham.
He says the first phase of U Street won't be that bad from 9th to 14th Street. But he says phase two will be a more difficult.
"It's going to look better. The streets are going to look better … We're going to end up with a very nice appearance," Graham says.
"Most of the business here, especially the nighttime, weekend businesses, is for local residents, people who live around here, so it won't make that much difference to them," says Smith. "It will make a difference for cars and things like that. Fortunately, this neighborhood has public transportation too. Don't forget, you can always get here by subway and that won't impact the subway at all," says Smith.
The project is expected to be complete by spring of next year.
Businesses who are affected by the construction can tap into a streetscape survival fund. Nine of the businesses in Adams Morgan have used the $650,000 fund.
