Beginning on Monday, Feb. 5, some changes will be made regarding who has access to Gate 1.
Starting next Monday, only uniformed services identification (USID) cards, known as DoD ID cards, are authorized to use McKenna Gate (Gate 1) from 5-9 a.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
“The amount of morning traffic through our McKenna Gate poses safety concerns,” said Lt. Colonel Hank Cartagena, director of emergency services and provost marshal. “These changes are necessary to ensure the safety of our workforce, visitors, and the general public transiting adjacent state and county highways. Our security and military personnel process too many vehicles in the mornings leading to reduced effectiveness of the vetting process. It’s a simple solution and one we assess will result in easier post access for most people.”
All vehicle occupants must be DoD ID card holders, and children under the age of 10 need to be a DoD ID card holder or have a gold star family automated installation entry card. Those with a trusted travelers card, temporary pass or other Automated Installation Entry cards will not be permitted during the restricted times.
Security personnel will turn around any vehicle that does not have a DoD ID card and will redirect them to the Main Gate (Gate 6) or Gate 5 on Tobacco Road.
The change to gate operations by limiting access during peak hours should reduce traffic by 30%, according to a press release from Fort Eisenhower. Redirecting traffic to Gate 6 should reduce congestion during morning commute hours at the Gordon Highway and Jimmy Dyess intersections, assist medical personnel, and reduce stress on security personnel and military manpower manning the gates during peak hours.
For more information on ID card variants, visit https://www.cac.mil/Next-Generation-Uniformed-Services-ID-Card/.
