Street Closures For The Lighting Of The Washington Monument

Holiday lighting of the Washington Monument in Mount Vernon. Credit: WBAL's Jim Russ

The annual holiday lighting of the Washington Monument will take place in Mount Vernon Thursday afternoon and evening.

Festivities in historic Mount Vernon will start at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 6th.

This event normally ties up traffic around downtown, mid-town and Mount Vernon during afternoon rush hour.

The following streets will be CLOSED on Thursday from 8 a.m. until 11:59 p.m.:

- Charles Street CLOSED from Centre to Madison Streets

- RIGHT SIDE of Centre Street CLOSED from Cathedral Street to Calvert Street

- Mt. Vernon Place CLOSED EAST of the Monument, between Charles Street and St. Paul Street

- Mt. Vernon Place WEST of the Monument, between Charles Street and Cathedral Street will be CLOSED from 6 p.m. on Wednesday until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday.

Those heading to the Monument lighting - along with rush hour commuters - should expect significant delays.

Northbound motorists heading out of downtown might want to get onto the Northbound Jones Falls Expressway (I-83) as early as possible, at the south end of the expressway, from either Fayette, President or Gay Streets.

Heading to downtown from points south of Baltimore, expect big delays on Charles and Calvert Streets.

Northbound drivers heading to the monument lighting might try Paca Street into downtown.

One possible option for southbound drivers trying to avoid delays would be to exit I-83/JFX Southbound at North/Mt.Royal Avenues. Take Southbound Mount Royal Avenue to Cathedral Street near the Myerhoff and then follow Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue to the eastbound street closest to your destination.

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