Community Corner

36th Street Nears Completion Under O and P Street Project

The historic street car rails have been removed and brick sidewalks will be installed this week

Residents of O and P Streets have many months of construction ahead of them, but the lucky residents of 36th Street will soon see an end to much of the construction activity that has blocked the street since early June.

The O and P Street project entered into a new phase in June: from 36th Street between O and P Streets.

Contractors worked to uncover and remove the rails, which are being stored until wraps up on O and P Streets. They will eventually be restored and placed on O and P Streets.

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The electric rails relied on ground-level currents rather than overhead wires to power the cars. The only similar systems in the world were in parts of the New York and London streetcar systems.

Now that the rails have been removed, a few items remain on the check list.

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This week the brick sidewalks will be installed. Currently piles of neatly stacked brick line the sidewalk.

The contractors will also install streetlights, likely next month.

The current street cover is an asphalt base, but the final layer of asphalt will not be applied to the street until the entire project wraps up next year. 

According to Dara Ward, a communications professional for the project, these remaining pieces are smaller in scope than previous work and will not require full closure of the street. Resident should have access to parking when active work is not taking place (like laying asphalt), said Ward in an email.

Below is the two-week lookahead schedule for the project:

Location & Work:

  37th Street (between O & P Streets)

  • Installation of street light foundations (July 21-22)

  3500 & 3600 Blocks of O Street

  • Electrical work on manhole & conduits (July 21-29)
  • Repair utility cuts & trenches (July 21-29)
  • PCC base, granite curb & brick gutter installment (July 21-29)

  36th Street (between O & P Streets)

  • Installation of brick sidewalk (July 21-29)

  3600 Block of P Street

  • Installation of street light foundations (July 21-29)
  • Traffic switch (July 21)
  • Roadway excavation (July 21-29)
  • Electrical work on manhole & conduits (July 21-29)
  • Installation of granite curb & brick gutter (July 26-29)

  3500 Block of P Street

  • Installation of granite curb & brick gutter (July 26-29)
  • Traffic switch (July 21)
  • Roadway excavation (July 21-29)
  • Electrical work on manhole & conduits (July 21-29)


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