WASHINGTON, Jan 20: Police sealed off a 100-block area in central Washington for President George Bush's inauguration on Thursday, turning much of the usually bustling center of the US capital into a ghost town of deserted streets and barricades.

With all traffic except official security and police cars barred from area, one cab driver said it felt more like a quiet Sunday than a weekday.

Buses were parked across streets to close off whole blocks and metal detectors were set up near the White House and inaugural route to check those entering the restricted area.

Thousands of dignitaries packed into seating around the Capitol building, site of the swearing-in, and organizers expected about 100,000 people, mainly Bush supporters, along the parade route from there to the White House.

Inaugural spectators packed the metro system, where fur coats and Texan-style cowboy hats were a more common sight than the usual dark suits more commonly worn by Washington's power elite. But most central streets were eerily quiet. Few businesses or stores were open, and office workers trickling into the restricted area were asking one another where to find coffee or open stores. -Reuters