Traffic Builds Around Congressional, But Thursday Will Bring 'Stern Test' For Transportation Plan

Traffic is building around as the U.S. Open moves into its final day of practice rounds, but the congestion is likely to begin to peak once the championship rounds officially kick off on Thursday.

Tuesday evening, traffic was crawling at major thoroughfares around the club including River Road. The put into place by the United States Golf Association and local and state transportation agencies, which took a year to develop, is largely based on shuttling in spectators from massive

About 15,000 offsite spots have been secured, and an additional lot has been set up at Dulles airport.

Monday, about 12,500 spectators entered the gates at Congressional during practice rounds, according to Daniel Hubbard, a USGA spokeman. Tuesday’s numbers weren’t immediately available. 35,000 tickets have been sold for each day of the championship rounds.

“So far our transportation plan is working well, with no major issues reported,” Hubbard wrote in an email to Patch. “Of course it will receive a much more stern test beginning Thursday.”

It wasn’t clear how many of the spectators used the shuttles versus other means of transportation, like passenger dropoff, Metro or RideOn. About 80-85 percent of spectators are expected to use the shuttles, according to Reg Jones, U.S. Open senior director.

Patch will post more information on transportation figures as they become available.

There is no official onsite parking at Congressional, and USGA and county officials are urging residents to use the offsite lots or alternate transportation rather than trying to seek private parking in the neighborhood. Over 300 law enforcement officers are stationed both in and around Congressional to help with security and directing traffic.

“Traffic volumes in the vicinity of the club will be heavy, so utilizing the satellite parking system or public transportation will be the fastest, most convenient way to get to the Open,” Hubbard said.

Shuttle traffic will prompt significant delays on River Road from the Capital Beltway to Falls Road, Falls Road from I-270 to Oaklyn Drive, Seven Locks Road from River Road to Democracy Boulevard, Bradley Boulevard, Persimmon Tree Lane and Oaklyn Drive.

In the neighborhoods surrounding Congressional, residents are doing their best to avoid congested thoroughfares likes River Road.

“The main arteries like River Road, that becomes a zoo,” said Phil Rider, president of the Carderock Springs Citizens Association, which represents the Bethesda neighborhood south of Congressional. “As a consequence, the people that live in our neighborhood take a different route to get into the neighborhood.”

Rather than trying to cross traffic to take a left onto Carderock Springs Drive from River Road, Rider said, he instead takes Seven Locks Road to Lilly Stone Drive to get into the neighborhood.

While the community deals with traffic and speeding on a regular basis, he said he hasn’t noticed much of an uptick of traffic in the neighborhood because of the Open, and parking also hasn’t been an issue. “The county comes and puts signs all over the place that say ‘no parking,’ so we don’t have people parking in the neighborhood,” Rider said.