Albemarle Street reopening is the latest Soapstone sewer project milestone

Albemarle Street, as viewed from 30th Street looking west toward Connecticut Avenue. (December 16th photo)

Now open: Albemarle Street east of Connecticut Avenue, for the first time since a major DC Water closed the section of roadway to vehicle traffic in September 9th, 2024.

The Soapstone trail entrance at Albemarle Street is also accessible again.

Tuesday’s reopening was one of the final and largest steps toward completion of the Soapstone Valley sewer rehabilitation project. Last week, road crews repaved and repainted the street, which had been torn up to replace a manhole. And the work was done a few days ahead of schedule – not typical for a project that was originally projected to last only two months. The overall sewer project – which involved relining and protecting more than 6,000 linear feet of sewer lines in the Soapstone Valley – is ending almost 2 and a half years late.

DC Water says the Albemarle site cleanup should be complete today or tomorrow, and includes removing the construction fencing that was taken down Tuesday and piled in a parking lane. 

As for the sewer project, only three more tasks remain: for Pepco to reenergize a streetlight over the manhole site, to replace 19 dead oak saplings that had been planted as part of the Soapstone creek restoration, and to install a fence at the top of a steep stone cascade near the Albemarle trail entrance. ANC 3F requested the addition in 2024 due to safety concerns.