Segment 1, shown in red, was closed from September of 2016 to Sunday. Segment 2, a .34 mile stretch shown in green, and segment 3, about 1.5 miles shown in yellow, both closed on August 28. And work on segment 4, depicted in black, is expected to start in the fall of 2018. (Courtesy of NPS)

After pedestrians got a sneak peak last weekend, the first section of Beach Drive re-opened to cars early this morning. As one newly rebuilt part of the roadway opens, though, another two have closed.

Part of a three-year project to completely rehabilitate the heavily trafficked Rock Creek Park throughway, the first work segment, which runs from Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway NW to Park Road/Tilden Street NW, closed last September. Workers completely rebuilt the road, planted new trees, widened the multi-purpose trail, replaced traffic signals and guardrails, and constructed a new stairway and crosswalk that lead to the National Zoo.

As that section of the road re-opens, the National Park Service will undertake the same kinds of repairs on the next stretch of roadway. Segment two, which runs from Tiden Street/Park Road NW to Broad Branch Road/Blagden Avenue NW, and segment three, which goes from Broad Branch Road/Blagden Avenue NW to Joyce Road NW are now closed to vehicular traffic. Segment two is a.34 mile stretch that will open before segment three.

Detour routes for vehicles can be seen here; pedestrians and cyclists will be able to continue to use the trails.

When work is completed on segment three, slated for next fall, NPS will move to the northernmost section of Beach Drive.

The project marks the first time in a quarter century that Beach Drive has been rehabilitated. In a typical year, more than 40,000 people use Beach Drive on the weekends, and commuters take 12 million trips each year through Rock Creek, according to NPS.