Washington D.C.’s 9th Street Tunnel beneath the National Mall has reopened to traffic following a Metrobus fire that prompted a multi-day closure and safety inspection. The tunnel, a key commuter route connecting Southwest D.C. To the Mall area, was fully restored after crews completed cleanup and structural assessments, officials confirmed.
The incident began on Thursday evening when a Metrobus caught fire inside the tunnel while traveling westbound during rush hour. According to D.C. Fire and EMS officials, the bus was occupied only by its driver, who evacuated safely without injury. No passengers were on board at the time, and no other individuals were reported hurt in the blaze.
Fire officials said the flames were extinguished within hours, but dense smoke filled the enclosed space, prompting the evacuation of nearby vehicles and triggering a significant traffic disruption. Emergency responders deployed over 125 personnel and 41 units to the scene, including hose teams that carried nearly 900 feet of equipment into the tunnel to reach the fire source.
Metro General Manager Randy Clarke confirmed that the affected bus was a hybrid diesel vehicle from the 2015–2018 model year. As a precaution, Metro removed 31 additional buses of the same type and model year from service pending inspection. Clarke noted that the bus in question had passed a routine maintenance check as recently as March 2026 but would undergo a full review of its service history.
The 9th Street Tunnel remained closed into Friday morning as D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) crews conducted a required four-hour inspection of the tunnel’s ventilation, lighting, and structural integrity. By early Friday afternoon, DDOT announced the partial reopening of one lane in each direction, allowing limited traffic flow while cleanup and monitoring continued.
By Saturday morning, April 25, 2026, officials confirmed that the tunnel had been fully reopened to all lanes after DDOT completed its final safety verification. The agency stated that no lasting damage to the tunnel structure was found, and all systems were functioning within normal parameters.
Metro said This proves continuing its investigation into the cause of the fire, which officials have described as likely stemming from a mechanical issue rather than foul play. The agency emphasized that the grounding of the subfleet was a preventive measure to ensure similar incidents do not occur across its hybrid diesel fleet.
Commuters and local businesses in the Southwest and Mall areas had faced detours via 12th and 7th Streets during the closure. With the tunnel now fully operational, normal traffic patterns have resumed, though DDOT advised drivers to remain alert for any residual signage or slow-moving maintenance vehicles in the vicinity.
As of Saturday afternoon, no further restrictions were in place, and Metro confirmed that the investigation into the bus fire remains active. Updated findings will be shared publicly once the review is complete, officials said.
For real-time traffic updates and official advisories, the public is encouraged to consult the DDOT traffic portal and Metro’s service status page.
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