Lafayette Square, a park located across the street from the White House, partially reopened to the public Tuesday after months of restoration work.
The park was closed in January for restoration work relating to events centering on America’s 250th anniversary, according to the National Park Service.
The park remained closed past an original May 31 deadline, with temporary steel fencing along H Street NW preventing people from accessing the park. On Tuesday, the fencing was moved roughly 50 feet into the park space, restoring access to around half the park’s grassy areas, pathways, benches and trees, according to Washington’s WTOP-FM.
People were interested in these podcasts
The White House previously disclosed plans to erect permanent fencing at Lafayette Square to replace sections of the temporary fencing.
Another National Park Service record of determination, implemented at the behest of the Secret Service, closed off parts of the Ellipse, Sherman Park, the First Division Monument and Lafayette Square starting Saturday, with the closures slated to end after 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.
The Secret Service closed off the affected areas near the White House “to provide necessary security and provide a secure perimeter with sufficient stand-off distance to protect the White House Complex and those within it, and to provide necessary security and to protect the President and other protectees, visitors, and the White House during this time,” per the National Park Service website.
The Secret Service also said that “lesser restrictive measures will not suffice due to the Secret Service’s security-based assessment based on its assessment of sensitive intelligence that these park areas need to be kept clear.”
Lafayette Square is bounded by H Street NW, Jackson Place NW, Madison Place NW and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The area of Lafayette Square that’s open is adjacent to H Street NW, per the recent record of determination.
Access to Pennsylvania Avenue and the permanent fencing in front of the White House is still blocked off, and people can access Jackson Place NW and Madison Place NW only via secure entry gates, according to WTOP-FM.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.