News Bytes: DC Water, Rock Creek Parkway
By • July 16, 2025 0 1199
DC Water to Begin Canal Road Slope Stabilization
DC Water reports that it “will begin slope stabilization work along Canal Road Northwest starting around mid-August … before construction at the site for part of the Potomac River Tunnel. This essential infrastructure work will require the closure of one lane and the sidewalk on Canal Road between Foxhall Road and the entrance to Georgetown University.”
The work, expected to take about six months, must be done with extreme care. DC Water will be constructing a drop shaft at the top of the slope, which has a history of instability.
After drilling approximately 725 steel rods into the slope, then covering it with steel mesh to hold everything in place, the area will be replanted with grass and the road and sidewalk restored to their prior condition.
Connecting to DC Water’s existing system, the $819 million, 5.5-mile-long Potomac River Tunnel includes seven shafts, including the site near Georgetown University. Construction began in 2024 and is scheduled for completion by 2030.
Sinkholes Shut P Street Ramp in Rock Creek Park
The National Park Service closed the P Street ramp near 23rd Street NW to northbound Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway due to two sinkholes. The ramp will remain closed until repairs are complete. The sinkholes are located on the west side of the ramp — one on the roadway and one in the adjacent grassy area.
“Our priority is keeping people safe while we work quickly and carefully to better understand the situation and begin repairs,” said Liam Cutri-French, a civil engineer with the Park Service’s National Capital Region. “Out of an abundance of caution, the ramp will remain closed until we know it’s safe to reopen.”
Residents Lose Marijuana Smoke Suit Against GU
The District of Columbia Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court’s dismissal of a lawsuit against Georgetown University filed by a couple who claimed that secondhand marijuana smoke from an off-campus student neighbor affected their health and home, reported the Washington Business Journal.
The couple “may be correct that legal conduct such as smoking marijuana in an adjoining property can be the basis of a nuisance claim, but they did not bring their nuisance claim against the person causing the smoke to migrate into their home,” Appeals Court Judge Maurice Ross wrote in the June 12 decision.
“Lauren and John Paul Szymkowicz sued the university in August 2022 in D.C. Superior Court, claiming Georgetown breached its contractual obligations to mitigate student impact on the surrounding neighborhood,” WBJ reported. The couple had sought $1.25 million in damages.
