Thinking of driving to Obama’s inauguration? Read this

-- The U.S. Secret Service has some sobering news for anyone thinking about driving from Virginia into the District of Columbia for the presidential inauguration.

The Secret Service yesterday said personal vehicles will be banned from all Potomac River bridge crossings from Virginia into the District. Personal vehicles also will be prohibited from driving into Washington from interstates 395 and 66 inside the Capital Beltway on Inauguration Day.

Virginia drivers will be able to reach Washington only from the Capital Beltway in Maryland.

From 2 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Inauguration Day, the inbound lanes of Potomac River bridges will be reserved for buses, limousines, taxis and other authorized vehicles.

Authorities said the closing of so many area roads and bridges is necessary because of anticipated record crowds for the inauguration of Barack Obama, who will become the nation's first black president. Some estimates have placed the anticipated crowd figure as high as 3 million people.