If you drive into the District along I-395, today could have been a ruder awakening than usual, thanks to the new Mark Center complex.

For years it was one of the most visible construction projects around the District — a massive building rising alongside I-395 in Virginia, brightly lit up at night so that it couldn’t possibly be ignored. But the Mark Center, which has started taking in government workers and contractors, remains a worry for local officials, both in terms of traffic and security.