Update 8/20:
The National Park Service announced that Pennsylvania Avenue will close more extensively than originally planned during construction on the new White House fence.
Starting Wednesday, Pennsylvania Avenue will be closed through March 2020 between East and West Executive avenues to “protect pedestrians and cyclists,” according to a press release. Lafayette Square and the north sidewalk of Pennsylvania Avenue will remain open as crews work on the improvements.
Previously, NPS had announced only “occasional temporary closures” to Pennsylvania Avenue, a popular viewing spot along the north entrance of the White House.
A recent visit to the north side of the White House revealed somewhat of a chaotic scene as frustrated tourists tried to find a suitable place to view the executive mansion, which was partially obstructed by a large construction billboard.
Tourists may now be better off viewing the presidential dwelling from a different angle. “Visitors are encouraged to view the White House south lawn from the Ellipse throughout the Pennsylvania Avenue closure,” NPS said.
Original:
Fence jumpers looking to climb their way into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will soon be facing a taller, spikier obstacle.
After years of debate on how to stop intruders from getting into the presidential residence, the National Park Service and U.S. Secret Service started construction on a new White House fence on Monday, according to a press release.
The two agencies will work to replace the White House’s current barrier—which stands 6 feet and 6 inches tall—with a 13-foot steel fence that features “anti-climb and intrusion detection technology.” The updates will cost about $64 million, per the Washington Post.
The project is years in the making. Security experts started recommending a new fence in 2014 after a series of security breaches, including one incident that involved an Iraqi War veteran jumping the White House gate and entering the building through an unlocked door while carrying a knife.
But it took many years and several more intrusions for officials to settle on the right design for the new fence.
The final plans for the fence were approved in 2017 by the Commission of Fine Arts and National Capital Planning Commission.
Officials had announced that construction would start in 2018, but the contract for the job wasn’t awarded until June of 2018.
According to NPS, it will take at least a year and a half to put up 3,500 feet of new steel fencing, with construction extending into 2021. The operation will happen in stages so the White House can remain visible from different angles, with work starting on the northwest side before moving to the northeast side.
Cyclists and pedestrians will still have access to Pennsylvania Avenue during the construction except for “occasional temporary closures” to allow workers to bring in construction equipment and materials.
The National Park Service will keep issuing permits for demonstrations in Lafayette Square and the open areas of the White House sidewalk.
White House fences apparently have a rich history: the very first gate—a simple wooden barrier—was erected in 1803 under President Thomas Jefferson. White House fence jumping isn’t a new phenomenon, either. One man jumped the fence four separate times in the 1970s.
This story has been updated with new information from the National Park Service on the temporary closure of Pennsylvania Avenue.
