George Washington Memorial Parkway

The National Park Service today announced the designation of the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial as an Affiliated Area of the National Park System, formally recognizing the memorial’s national significance and strengthening the partnership to preserve and share the stories of the 184 victims killed at the Pentagon and aboard American Airlines Flight 77 on September 11, 2001.

The National Park Service (NPS) is advising motorists that the existing full northbound closure of the George Washington Memorial Parkway between Spout Run Parkway and Route 123 will continue through September 17, 2026. The northbound closure, which began August 10, will continue Mondays through Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. All northbound traffic will be detoured around the closure. Beginning September 21 and continuing through October 29, 2026, all southbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway between Route 123 and Spout Run Parkway will be closed Mondays through Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Crews will conduct tree assessments, pruning and tree removal along the parkway.

The National Park Service is excited to welcome visitors to celebrate National Park Week from Saturday, August 22 through Sunday, August 30, as dozens of sites across the region mark the 2026 theme, “Celebrate America’s Story,” highlighting the 250th anniversary of American independence and recognizing our shared American heritage of national parks.

The National Park Service will temporarily close all northbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway between Spout Run Parkway and Route 123 beginning Aug. 10 through Sept. 1, 2026. 

The National Park Service invites additional public comment on the Assessment of Effects Report for the proposed Triumphal Arch within the George Washington Memorial Parkway.