U.S. Capitol Police shut down several streets in Northeast Washington on Wednesday morning while investigating a suspicious package, closing off a stretch of roadway near the Capitol complex before reopening the area once the investigation wrapped up.
The closures affected Delaware Avenue NE between C and D streets, C Street NE between 2nd Street and Delaware Avenue, and 1st Street NE between D Street and Constitution Avenue, according to WJLA. The closures were tied to an active investigation into the package, with U.S. Capitol Police attributed as the source confirming the shutdown.
The streets reopened after being closed for the investigation, per the same report.
Part of a Recurring Pattern Near the Capitol
Wednesday morning's closures echo other recent incidents in the area. In a separate episode, a suspicious package found on the East Plaza of the U.S. Capitol prompted the closure of screening areas at the Capitol Visitor Center along with several nearby roads, U.S. Capitol Police said, as reported by FOX 5 DC. That incident closed First Street between Constitution Avenue NE and Independence Avenue SE, as well as East Capitol Street between First and Second streets.
Capitol Police told the outlet that the East Plaza situation cleared quickly.
Downtown D.C. Has Seen Similar Scares
Suspicious-package scares have also disrupted traffic away from the Capitol grounds. On June 14, police activity shut down part of 11th Street NW after an unattended package was reported in downtown Washington, according to WJLA's coverage of that incident. The closure stretched along 11th Street NW between F Street and G Street until further notice, and the Metropolitan Police Department later confirmed its Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit had cleared the scene, lifting the road closures.
These incidents are not isolated. In March 2016, two unattended packages near the Capitol Visitor Center triggered similar closures and screening suspensions, according to a Hoodline report on the recurring security concerns around the Capitol complex.
Behind the Heightened Vigilance
The frequency of these responses reflects a broader pattern of threat monitoring around the Capitol. Hoodline has reported that the U.S. Capitol Police Threat Assessment Section investigated 14,938 concerning statements, behaviors and communications in 2025 alone, underscoring the scale of security screening that surrounds the complex even when individual incidents, like Wednesday morning's, prompt temporary street closures.
