‘Orchestra of construction’: the necessary evil for Dupont’s new deckover

Dupont’s streetscape and deckover project promises new opportunities for neighborhood businesses when its completed next year, but those opportunities come with a short-term price: noise and disruption.

But after more than a year since breaking ground, those businesses working amidst the chaos of the construction zone find the project worth the pain.

“I know a lot of the people that do have businesses around here were kind of concerned about it interrupting the flow of traffic and things like that, but I feel like it’s a necessary evil,” said Nic Kirk, a Petworth area resident, who works in the area.

The District Department of Transportation broke ground on the project in the summer of 2025. DDOT Public Information Officer German Vigil said in a statement that it remains on track for completion next summer. 

“Since the design phase, DDOT has partnered closely with the Dupont Circle Business Improvement District and Dupont Circle Main Streets to prioritize public safety, accessibility, and minimize impacts to the day-to-day operations of local businesses,” Vigil said.

The new streetscape will feature bicycle and pedestrian amenities, pedestrian-friendly traffic, green infrastructure elements and a deck-over plaza over the Connecticut Avenue underpass between Dupont Circle and Q Street NW, according to the project’s website. The improvements to the area will include rebuilding curbs, gutters, sidewalks and pedestrian ramps, along with new crosswalks and streetlights. 

The website also said that the new plaza over the underpass “will allow visitors to enjoy everyday activities like eating lunch, reading the paper, or playing with your kids” and “can also be utilized for special events such as a farmer’s market, outdoor movies, music, plays, and cultural events.”

Despite an effort to minimize the construction’s impact, some businesses have still struggled. 

Sweetgreen and bilingual bookstore JF Books both said the construction has affected their customers.

Noe Melendez, the chief manager of the Sweetgreen, said the location’s sales have decreased.

Can, the manager of JF Books, also said that not as many people have come into the store as he expected, and traffic blocks the street. He asked for his last name to not be shared for privacy reasons.

JF Books only has one main entrance, which faces the construction on Connecticut Avenue, so it can be inconvenient for customers, Can said.

Jazlin Rodriguez, a political science student at the George Washington University, called the construction an “eyesore.”

“Usually when people want to eat fine dining or want to go to a small restaurant, they want to have a good view,” Rodriguez said.

She works at a restaurant up the street and has noticed downsides to the site being nearby.

“All the dust, all the cement, when they drill, it goes over to the restaurant I work at, so the patio sometimes has to be closed because of that,” Rodriguez said.

Jeffrey Rueckgauer, a Dupont Circle advisory neighborhood commissioner, said that DDOT has been great about maintaining pedestrian access to businesses amid the construction. He said the problem is for customers arriving by car and not having alternative parking. 

Rueckgauer said Dupont is one of the most transit-dense neighborhoods in the city, and he has promoted using that public transit during this phase.

The ANC has been “closely coupled” with the Dupont Circle Business Improvement District, and the BID has taken the lead in keeping businesses up-to-date, Rueckgauer said.

The feedback flows through the BID to him, Rueckgauer said, and then, to the rest of the ANC and back.

Together they discuss ideas, like how to proceed with anchoring tents or hooking up water for fountains, he said. 

Jason Goldman, the marketing and events manager of the BID, said in a statement that the organization foresees the new project modernizing Dupont and invigorating the corridor.

Goldman said the BID hopes “that a new era of Dupont will begin, and the neighborhood will see heightened pedestrian and commercial activity as a direct result of these street improvements and pedestrian-focused amenities.”

Melendez and Can are both looking forward to this day, and so are locals.

Rodriguez, who is from D.C., said she has seen how construction can make or break a neighborhood, but she is excited to see the result.

Kirk said the streetscape and deckover will “breathe life into the area.” It will give visitors easy access to businesses and give them more room to do activities they enjoy, he added.

He said it’s important to view the construction site as a process, rather than focusing on the negative.

“It’s like an orchestra of construction,” Kirk said. “It’s the beautiful music we’ll have until they get done with it.”