WASHINGTON — The collapse of part of a building in Northwest is causing delays for Wednesday morning’s commute.
A wall of a three-story townhouse in the 100 block of New York Avenue in Northwest collapsed Tuesday evening, and the D.C. Fire Department closed the westbound lanes of New York Avenue between 1st Street NW and New Jersey Avenue.
The two left lanes reopened by about 6 a.m. Officials have not yet said when all three lanes will reopen to traffic.
Structural engineers on the scene say if the building were to collapse, it would collapse inward instead on onto the street.
Even through officials have opened two lanes, they say commuters should expect major delays and they recommend finding an alternate route.
Here's what's slowing traffic inbound New York Ave NW at 1st St. See bricks buckling at 3rd floor of townhouse #Wtop pic.twitter.com/EQJO6AUZTi
— Dick Uliano (@DickUliano) June 11, 2014
Traffic still slow to get by. #wtop pic.twitter.com/OgPgGEMGEH
— Dick Uliano (@DickUliano) June 11, 2014
Here's the townhouse that threatens to spill its bricks on New York Ave NW forcing inbound lane closures #Wtop pic.twitter.com/g21cQk3Zs7
— Dick Uliano (@DickUliano) June 11, 2014
New York Ave at 1st St NW inbound lanes closed due to threat of bldg collapse #Wtop pic.twitter.com/0E0ngViKWZ
— Dick Uliano (@DickUliano) June 11, 2014
Below is a map of where the wall collapsed.
WTOP’s Dick Uliano contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP and @WTOPTraffic on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.