WASHINGTON (7News) — Many residents of D.C. are facing huge impacts on their daily lives as the NATO 75th Anniversary Summit continues through Thursday.
There have been numerous street closures since earlier in the week near the White House and National Mall. While they have caused long delays for commuters, only a relatively small number of people live where those closures have happened.
But near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center – where much of the NATO Summit is being held – it’s a different story. The convention center is surrounded by residential neighborhoods on almost every side.
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“It’s been pretty chaotic,” said Thomas Broekhove, who lives near the convention center. “Lots of traffic. Trying to get to work has been quite hell.”
“The traffic is really bad. Foot traffic slowed down quite a bit,” said Nick Min, the owner of Tower Cleaners, which is on O Street, NW about a block from the convention center. “As a business owner, that’s not good for me.”
Many roads surrounding the convention center are closed to cars, and even pedestrian access is barred close to the convention center.
According to a D.C. traffic website set up for the NATO Summit, many of the closed roads near the convention center are not scheduled to reopen until 6 p.m. Friday. The summit itself ends on Thursday.
