Constitution Avenue is a major east–west street in the northwest and northeast quadrants of the city of Washington, D.C., in the United States.

[1] Constitution Avenue's western half defines the northern border of the National Mall and extends from the United States Capitol to the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge.

Its eastern half runs through the neighborhoods of Capitol Hill and Kingman Park before it terminates at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.

Many federal departmental headquarters, memorials, and museums line Constitution Avenue's western segment.

[11] Although the Washington City Canal remained in use after the coming of the railroad, by 1855, it had filled with silt and debris to the point where it was no longer functional.

[13] In 1871, Congress abolished the elected mayor and bicameral legislature of the District of Columbia, and established a territorial government.

[16] Congress first appropriated money for the beautification of the reclaimed land in 1902, which led to the planting of sod, bushes, and trees; grading and paving of sidewalks, bridle paths, and driveways; and the installation of water, drainage, and sewage pipes.

[19] Congress approved funding for design work on June 12, 1922,[20] and authorized construction of the Arlington Memorial Bridge on February 24, 1925.

The second was the National Capital Parks Commission (NCPC), which had statutory authority to approve federal transportation construction in the city.

However, once the street went past Virginia Avenue NW, the NCPC determined that the north curb should not be moved.

The AMBC was dissatisfied with Kendall's design, however, and ordered a major restudy of the B Street connection in December 1926.

[4][22] In May 1927, Kendall presented a revised design for the B Street approach to the Lincoln Memorial traffic circle.

The NCPC, concerned with the impending construction of Federal Triangle, worried that a traffic circle would not only fail to accommodate the expected increase in traffic volume but also impair the dignity of the memorial as large numbers of fast-moving automobiles whizzed around it.

[30] B Street's renewal soon became caught up in the creation of Senate Park north of the United States Capitol building.

To help plan and develop this area, on April 6, 1928, Congress enacted legislation establishing the Capitol Plaza Commission.

[34] It made a site visit along the roadway to see how different widths would affect the vista and the grandeur of the planned avenue.

[36] Representative Henry Allen Cooper of Wisconsin subsequently introduced legislation in June 1930 to rename the street Constitution Avenue.

Widening of what was now called Constitution Avenue NW began at the end of February 1931, with the city finalizing its engineering plans.

[45] A small memorial column, marking the point at which water reached inland during the terrible 1889 Potomac River flood, was moved because of the street widening.

[47] By March 1932, additional funding to complete the widening of Constitution Avenue NW and extend it through Senate Park was still needed.

[49] Funding for this part of the project did not come through until December 1932, when Congress ordered $55,200 transferred from the AMBC budget to the city coffers for this construction.

Convinced that massive federal spending on public works was essential not only to "prime the pump" of the economy but also to cut unemployment, Roosevelt proposed passage of the National Industrial Recovery Act.

The act contained $6 billion in public works spending, which included $400 million for road, bridge, and highway construction.

With the act's passage moving forward swiftly, D.C. officials asked Congress on June 12 for the funds to finish widening Constitution Avenue NW.

The Public Works Administration (PWA) was immediately established to disburse the funds appropriated by the act.

The District of Columbia received a $1.9 million grant for road and bridge construction, and the city said on July 8 it would use a portion of these funds to finish Constitution Avenue.

This project, which occurred in conjunction with the clearance of Upper Senate Park, began in late September 1933.

Once past the National Gallery of Art, the ground of the United States Capitol borders the south side of the avenue.

The north side of Constitution Avenue NE features the Russell, Dirksen, and Hart Senate office buildings.

The roadway passes through the Capitol Hill and Kingman Park neighborhoods, and on its south side is bordered by the football stadium of Eastern High School between 17th and 19th Streets NE.