National Christmas Tree lighting Thursday, road closings

December 2, 2014
Mariah Timms
News Writer
Washington, D.C.

The National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. Thursday on the Ellipse south of the White House. The annual event will cause street closings in the area, and tends to slow traffic through the capital until it ends around 7 p.m. The tree arrived in D.C. Friday from Crystal Spring Tree Farm in Lehighton, Pennsylvania. The tree now stands 20 feet tall, but it will need to be trimmed to at most 18.5 feet to fit in the Blue Room of the White House.

Street closings will include, from 1 p.m. to10 p.m. Thursday, 15th and 17th between Constitution Avenue and E Street NW. From 4 p.m. through the end of the ceremony, 15th Street NW will be blocked to vehicles between New York and Constitution avenues, 17th Street NW will be blocked between Constitution Avenue and New York Avenue/State Place, and 18th Street NW will be closed to vehicles between D and E streets.