Officials hint at closing DC border for Inauguration Day

Officials in the nation's capital may close bridges and roads leading into Washington, D. C., in the coming days in an unprecedented move to further secure the city ahead of Inauguration Day.

"The United States Secret Service is considering some other closures inbound to Washington, and I think they will announce those when those decisions have been made," Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, said at a press conference downtown Friday afternoon.

"There are still negotiations as the mayor indicated ... as to when the bridges across the river will be closed, when they will be reopened, which specific bridges those will be," said Matt Miller, special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Washington field office.

The move would be the latest in a series of actions to secure the city ahead of President-elect Biden's being sworn into office following an attempt by hundreds of supporters of President Trump to overtake the U. S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Federal officials from the Department of Homeland Security, Washington Police Department, and local city officials said drivers can expect to be stopped and searched at checkpoints once a perimeter is set up within the city.

A total of 10 bridges connect downtown Washington to Maryland, Virginia, and other parts of the district, and dozens of other land roads connect Washington with neighboring states.

"Any vehicle, once the secure perimeter is in place [and] they've entered one of the designated checkpoints, will be searched for explosives, weapons, and other prohibited items," said Miller.

The Metropolitan Police Department and Secret Service's Technical Security Division will oversee checkpoints and may be aided by the National Guard explosive ordinance specialists, pending availability.

Secret Service will soon release the 12th version of its perimeter map for this inauguration. The map breaks down roads into red areas, where no vehicles are allowed, and green areas, which are open to the public but under close watch. They did not reveal how far those regions may be extended in light of forthcoming bridge closures.

Concerns for the rest of the district

Miller addressed residents' concerns that the heavy focus on troops, police, and security on federal facilities may leave residential and private property vulnerable.

"We have so many assets inside the Penn Quarter-Capitol area that there i... (Read more)

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