Guests arrive at the MGM National Harbor Grand Opening on December 8, 2016 in National Harbor, Maryland. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images for MGM National Harbor)
The official opening of the MGM National Harbor casino and resort led to a traffic standstill last night.
The National Harbor area, which sits on the Potomac River south of D.C., was backed up for miles. In response, police shut down several highway exits to relieve traffic on Woodrow Wilson Bridge, according to NBC Washington.
Prince George’s County officials are recommending that drivers give themselves extra travel time through December 18.
The $1.4 billion development officially welcomed its first patrons last night and filled to capacity less than an hour after doors opened, reports NBC. Meanwhile, hundreds of people were left waiting outside until other guests departed.
Officials say as many as 90,000 vehicles enter National Harbor during an average week and that number could double due to casino traffic, The Washington Post reported. In order to mitigate congestion, officials spent $10 million on road improvements near the resort.
Motorists “can expect a 6.2 percent increase in traffic volumes on the interchange near the [site],” said John Townsend, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s manager of public and government affairs. “The MGM Grand is expected to attract 25,000 visitors a day. That is tantamount to 9.1 million visitors yearly and 3.6 million more vehicles in the vicinity each year.”
Officials are asking drivers to take alternative routes, especially during the casino’s peak business times from 7 p.m. until midnight, Thursdays through Sundays. They can also sign up for text alerts to keep up with traffic patterns.
MGM casino traffic pic.twitter.com/YhZMqXiU6m
— Faiz Siddiqui (@faizsays) December 9, 2016
This post has been updated to reflect that the casino is a $1.4 billion project, not $1.4 million, and to clarify the location of National Harbor.
