STATE FUNERAL: Friday Closings for Cathedral Service; Will the Potholes Go Away?

The Washington Post reports this morning that roads could be closed around the Capitol today for Regean-related activities. Additionally, it seems that the procession from the Capitol to the National Cathedral has been sketched out:

Constitution Avenue to Rock Creek Parkway to Massachusetts Avenue to Wisconsin Avenue. So does that mean that the massive potholes on Waterside Drive, the roadway linking Rock Creek Parkway and Massachusetts Avenue will be filled as to not jostle about the funeral procession? Downtown-bound commuters from west of the park would certainly hope so.

So what was up with Wednesday's route from Andrews Air Force Base to Constitution Avenue? Commenters on DCSOB were wondering about the odd route which took the casket from Andrews Air Force base to D.C. via Suitland Parkway, the Southeast-Southwest Freeway, the 14th Street Bridge, the George Washington Parkway, Memorial Bridge to Constitution Avenue. Obviously, the most direct route to the 1600 block of Constitution Avenue Northwest (where the casket was loaded onto a horse-drawn caisson) would have been to exit at Maine Avenue to Independence Avenue to 17th Street to Constitution.

My hypothesis: Great, ceremonial and historic images of the procession crossing the Memorial Bridge and going by the Lincoln Memorial. After all, the Memorial Bridge was built to be a ceremonial and symbolic link between the city's monumental core and the country's most hallowed national cemetery. (This may have been explained during the live coverage of the procession, but I was working at the time and my back was to the office television set.)