D.C. begins testing reflective pavement at five heat-island sites

The District Department of Transportation launched a pilot during the week of July 27, 2026, to test solar-reflective pavement coatings at five locations identified as having higher heat exposure and greater community need.

The Cool Corridors pilot is testing three products—not announcing a citywide rollout. DDOT and American University researchers will compare conditions before and after treatment, with a comparative report planned by the end of 2026. The findings could help shape future investments in heat-resilient streets, but no broader expansion has been approved.

Where the pilot is taking place

DDOT identified five District locations for the pilot:

• Brightwood NW
• North Michigan Park NE
• Ivy City NE
• Benning NE
• West of Ballpark SW

Residents should use DDOT’s official Cool Corridors project map and current notices for exact block boundaries, application dates and construction updates. The sites are part of the broader Cool Corridors Multi-Hazard Resilience Study, which focuses on corridors connecting residents to parks and open spaces.

What crews are testing

Solar-reflective, light-colored coatings are intended to reflect more sunlight than conventional asphalt. DDOT says the pilot will examine whether the treatments reduce pavement temperatures, improve neighborhood comfort and help make transportation corridors more resilient during extreme heat.

Those are the pilot’s goals and expected effects, not results from the District project. American University is helping measure conditions before and after the coatings are applied. A university researcher involved with the project said the team would monitor the surfaces on hot, clear days to assess their cooling effects.

DDOT is leading the work with the Department of Energy and Environment, the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health. The project is funded in part through a Federal Emergency Management Agency Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant secured by HSEMA. The approved source material does not identify a total project cost.

Residents should expect daytime access restrictions

Vehicles must be moved from affected streets while pavement is being applied. DDOT says streets may be closed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the work.

Contractors may be present for up to three days, although individual driveways are expected to be affected for one day, pending dry weather. A July 15 neighborhood notice for the Riggs Park area said emergency no-parking signs would provide advance notice and that individual blocks could be treated on different days rather than all at once.

Residents near the five pilot sites should follow posted parking and access notices, move vehicles before restrictions begin and check the official project site for location-specific updates. Rain could change the schedule.

What happens after the pilot

DDOT and its partners expect to compare conditions before and after the treatments and publish a report by the end of 2026. That report may help officials decide whether reflective pavement merits additional testing or future public investment.

For now, the pilot does not commit the District to citywide deployment. It also does not replace tree canopy, shade, cooling centers or other measures used to reduce heat exposure. The purpose is to produce District-specific evidence about whether pavement treatments can complement those efforts.

Sources

• DDOT Cool Corridors launch release, July 27, 2026
• DDOT Cool Corridors project site and map
• Next Stop…Riggs Park resident notice