Rehabilitate National Mall Walkway Systems

DHM is working with NPS, and leading the design team, to establish and understand the overall design and construction effort to improve/replace the existing gravel walkways of the National Mall to meet Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards (ABAAS) to better accommodate visitors, events and demonstrations, and minimize impacts to turf and tree panels. Meeting ABAAS standards is important to achieving the objectives outlined in the National Mall Plan. Being mindful of the historic landscape and protecting in place the newly restored central turf panels, approximately 5 miles of public walkways are anticipated to be brought into compliance. The project will widen some walks and pave some turf or hard packed dirt areas to provide visitor orientation and interpretation, rest opportunities, and additional paved surfaces for events. The project goals also include minimizing on-going maintenance, implementing long term, sustainable drainage solutions, and tying into the existing cistern infrastructure for irrigation and stormwater management in the D.C. climate. In addition, the project will improve infrastructure and install conduits for events and visitor services such as restrooms and irrigation systems and grounding locations for temporary event systems.