A round hole 50 feet across now sits in the middle of the new concrete deck over the Connecticut Avenue underpass, just north of the circle. It is the tunnel's ventilation vent, ringed by a concrete barrier and a mounted rail. DDOT explained it in its October 14 update, which reported that crews had finished the fifth and final pour on the deck-over the Friday before.
With the deck in place, the work has moved to the service lanes and sidewalks of the 1500 block, starting on the west side. On the east side, crews are working north through the 1600 block toward R Street. So the construction now sits right outside the storefronts, through the weeks when gifts get bought and tables get booked.
The deck is finished. The sidewalk work is next.
The pours ran in stages. The first came on the evening of September 17, with the underpass closed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. and traffic detoured around the circle. More than 20 concrete trucks were scheduled for that first pour, which filled two of the five spans. The second pour filled two more, with over 20 trucks moving in and out overnight. The fifth span was the last, and it was finished on a Friday evening in early October.
DDOT's list of what comes after the concrete matters more to anyone walking the avenue. Pavers go on top of the deck. Then come the service lane and sidewalk in the 1500 block, inside the new plaza area. In the 1600 block, crews take out the old sidewalk and put in new concrete, pavers and planters. While they work, people walk through a protected walkway set out in the street, with ramps up to each business. The October 14 update estimated another four to five weeks for this phase. That puts the end of the current sidewalk work somewhere in mid-November, right as holiday shopping begins.
The Q Street side has already had its turn. Just east of Connecticut, it now has new pavers, updated curb cuts and new accessible ramps.
Who is open behind the barriers
DDOT has said all along that every business stays open and reachable during construction. The Dupont Circle BID's dining directory shows what that covers on the blocks between the circle and R Street. Hours and openings change, so call ahead before making a special trip.
| Address | Business | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 1501 Connecticut | Starbucks | Coffee |
| 1509 Connecticut | JF Books | Bookstore |
| 1512 Connecticut | Sweetgreen | Salads |
| 1516 Connecticut | BIBIBOP Asian Grill | Rice bowls |
| 1517 Connecticut | Kramers and All Day by Kramers | Bookstore, café and restaurant |
| 1528 Connecticut | Panera Bread To-Go | Carryout |
| 1529 Connecticut | Connecticut Ave Wine & Liquor | Wine and spirits, open since 1983 |
| 1601 Connecticut | Daily Provisions | Café |
| 1603 Connecticut | Pure Green | Juice and smoothies |
| 1627 Connecticut | Tea Mansion | Tea |
| 1633 Connecticut | Larry's Ice Cream | Ice cream |
| 1666 Connecticut | Sette Osteria | Italian |
| 1701 Connecticut | La Tomate Italian Bistro | Italian |
| 1704 Connecticut | Dolcezza | Gelato and coffee |
| 1730 Connecticut | Tatiana Pizza | Pizza |
Those blocks have carried a heavy load this year. In April, DC News Now reported that owners along the avenue said sales had dropped since construction began. The BID's executive director, Bill McLeod, told the DC Council that the district had received $1 million in relief the year before and was asking for a further $2 million grant. DDOT's own October 7 update counted down the days to Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. It suggested that shopping at businesses surrounded by construction is one way to start on a holiday list.
The table makes it easy to see what that list might hold. You can find books at two addresses in the same block, a bottle from a shop that has been at 1529 for more than four decades, and a gelato or tea stop a few doors up. All of it sits within the stretch the crews are working through this month.
Fifty years at 1517
Kramers is right in the middle of the 1500 block. It is the clearest reminder of how long this stretch has held on. WTOP reports that it opened as Kramerbooks on July 4, 1976, and was the District's first bookstore with a restaurant. As part of the 50th-anniversary celebration, Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a proclamation naming October 22 "Kramer's Day" in D.C. It called the business "a lifeblood of its Dupont Circle neighborhood."
The owner, Steve Salis, has run Kramers and its staff of 150 for the past ten years. He described its role to WTOP this way:
"We don't just see it as a bookstore. We see it as a cultural hub."
The construction crews took note as well. DDOT's October 21 update on the 1500 block work congratulated Kramers on 50 years. It called the business "a true staple in the Dupont Circle community" and pointed readers to the anniversary party on Saturday night, October 24. The bookstore that has anchored this block since 1976 marked its anniversary with fresh concrete outside its door.
Where the season gathers, a short walk from the avenue
The bigger holiday draws this year sit a block or two off Connecticut. Getting to them often means walking past the work zone, which is a reason to stop along the way. In date order:
- Thursday, November 5, 5 to 8:30 p.m. The Phillips Collection's "Deep Sea Disco" after-hours night features gallery talks, a sound bath, DJs and live music, knot-tying and crafts.
- November 12 through December 23. The DC Holiday Market returns to the 1500 block of New Hampshire Avenue NW with more than 35 small businesses. It runs weekdays from noon to 8 p.m. and weekends from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and it is closed on Thanksgiving and on Monday, November 30. The BID, which runs the market with Diverse Markets Management, describes it as a place for artisan goods, gifts, décor and seasonal treats.
- Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Phillips Plays, the museum's family program, focuses on Mark Rothko.
- Saturday, December 12, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The next edition of Phillips Plays, the museum's drop-in family program.
- Every Sunday through December 27, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The FRESHFARM Dupont Circle market keeps its year-round schedule on 20th Street NW between Massachusetts and Connecticut Avenues.
The Rothko family day ties into the Phillips' main show of the season. "Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea" opened October 24, brings together about 90 works and runs through January 24, 2027. A morning at the museum, then lunch on the 1600 block on the way home, makes an easy weekend loop.
Two new rooms just off the avenue
Two openings a few blocks away add to the evening options this season. La Merna opened at 2153 P Street NW on August 13. It comes from Bradley Shorten and Meg Schmitt, a husband-and-wife team from Chicago, and serves tavern-style pizza with house-made pastas and cheeses. Eater DC reported that they also planned a stewed-meat sandwich window next door.
On 17th Street, Devin Gong of Astoria and Copycat Co. is turning the former Little Serow space and the laundromat next door at 1509 17th Street NW into Astro Zombie. Washingtonian reported in early October that the 45-seat tiki bar would open sometime around Halloween. The plan is a "spaceship diner" look, Zombie cocktails and scorpion bowls, and mix-and-match pupu platters for two at $60, served on lazy susans around flaming hibachi grills. Last call is set for 1:30 a.m. on weeknights and 2:30 a.m. on weekends. Check its site before heading over to see whether the doors are open yet.
What the barriers are building
What crews are building on the deck is a new public plaza over the underpass between the circle and Q Street. The work also includes new sidewalks, crossings, lighting, landscaping, and upgrades for people on foot and on bikes along the avenue. At the R Street intersection, the next step is new traffic signals alongside the sidewalk work. As of DDOT's September 17 update, the project was on schedule to finish in early summer 2027, subject to weather and anything unforeseen. Questions about the work can go to the project team at [email protected], and DDOT posts weekly progress on its construction updates page.
If you'd like to talk about how changes on Connecticut Avenue, from this fall's sidewalk work to next summer's plaza, might shape plans for your own Dupont Circle home, The Martin & Jeff Group would welcome a confidential conversation.
