Havens Gardens will get a little bit more land added to the Washington waterfront park by the end of the week, according to Allen Lewis, City of Washington’s director of public works.

Though the artery of East Main Street that merged onto River Road has been closed since the construction of the new Runyon Creek bridge several years ago, now public works is getting rid of the road block and tearing up the asphalt to add a few more feet of green space.

“Several months ago, council voted to close that portion of East Main Street and now we’re just finalizing what council did in open session a few months back,” Lewis said.

“We’re taking up asphalt, rebuilding the curb on Main Street before you get to the railroad track and where the road is now is going to be grass,” Lewis said. “We’re just extending Havens Gardens a little bit.”

Lewis said a multitude of reasons contributed to the decision by City Council to close the road permanently, and according to city officials, one of the main reasons was to make traffic flow better around the intersection where Park Drive, Hudnell Street, River Road and East Main Street meet. Considering the close proximity of the merging roadway into traffic heading east on River Road to the entrance of Havens Gardens’ public parking lot, safety was also a factor in doing away with the road.

Traffic is being rerouted one block up Simmons Street to Park Drive until construction is completed.