Tim Bracken, wtop.com
Weekend Wakeup Call – Friday, March 16 to Monday, March 19
This weekend will be packed with events from St. Patrick’s Day parades in Gaithersburg and Manassas to a marathon and a circus in the District.
The Tidal Basin will be full of people gazing at the cherry blossoms in all their glory. There also will be some nighttime construction on the Capital Beltway, and everyone’s favorite weekend mind-melter: Metro track work, complete with a station closure on the Red Line.
Be sure to check the information about how Metro and bus routes will be affected by the Rock & Roll Marathon if you’ll be using public transit on Saturday.
Try not to get stuck in traffic, plan ahead, and have a great weekend.
SoberRide 2012
If your St. Patrick’s Day plans include alcohol, keep SoberRide in mind if you don’t have a designated driver. Anyone over 21 years of age, just call 800-200-8294, and SoberRide will provide you with a free cab ride, up to a $30 fare. The program will be offered from 6 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. on Sunday.
Suntrust Rock & Roll Marathon
The Suntrust Rock & Roll Marathon will definitely cause huge delays in the District on Saturday. Closures will begin as early as 3 a.m., and will affect streets all over the District through around 2:30 p.m.
The races are scheduled to begin around 8 a.m. at 19th Street and C Street NE, taking runners through all four quadrants of the District. Musical groups will be performing at various locations around the courses. See the course map here. DDOT describes the race routes:
Half marathon:
- Start on 19th & C Street NE
- West on C Street NE
- West on North Carolina Avenue NE
- South on 13th Street SE at Lincoln Circle
- West on E. Capitol Street SE
- North on 11th Street SE
- West on E. Capitol Street NE
- North on 2nd Street NE
- West on Constitution Avenue NE
- West on Pennsylvania Avenue NW
- West on Constitution Avenue NW
- (turnaround) East on Constitution Avenue NW at 20th Street NW
- North on 18th Street NW
- North/Northwest on Connecticut Avenue NW
- North on Columbia Road NW
- East on Harvard Street NW
- South on 5th Street NW
- East on Bryant Street NW
- South on N. Capitol Street NW
- East on K Street NE
- South on 4th Street NE
- East on H Street NE
- South on 13th Street NE
- East on Constitution Avenue NE
- East on North Carolina Ave NE
- Merge onto C ST NE
- South onto 22nd ST NE
- West into RFK LOT 3 – Finish
Full marathon:
- West on C Street NE
- South on 13th Street SE at Lincoln Circle
- West on E. Capitol Street SE
- North on 11th Street SE
- West on E. Capitol Street NE
- North on 2nd Street NE
- West on Constitution Avenue NE
- West on Pennsylvania Avenue NW
- West on Constitution Avenue NW
- South on 9th Street NW (tunnel)
- East on Maine Avenue SW
- South on 6th Street Extension SW
- South on Water Street SW
- Merge onto the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail
- East on P Street SW
- South on 2nd Street SW
- East on V Street SW
- North on First Street SW
- East on Potomac Avenue SW
- South onto S. Capitol Street SE
- East on S. Capitol Bridge access road
- North on S. Capitol Bridge access road
- East on Anacostia Drive SE
- (turnaround) West on Anacostia Drive SE
- South on Nicholson Street SE
- East on Fairlawn Avenue SE
- Southeast on Pennsylvania Avenue SE
- North on L’Enfant Square SE
- Merge east on Minnesota Avenue SE
- Continue northeast on Minnesota Avenue SE
- East on E. Capitol Street SE on ramp
- West on E. Capitol Street SE
- Merge northwest onto C ST SE
- Merge northwest onto 22nd ST NE
- Enter Lot 3 at RFK Stadium
All street closures should be clear by 2:30 p.m.
Metrorail will open an hour early on Saturday — at 6 a.m. — for the Rock & Roll Marathon.
The following Metrobus routes will be affected by the marathons: 32, 34, 36, 38B, 42, 52, 54, 64, 70, 74, 80, 90, 92, 96, A42, A46, A48, B2, D4, D6, D8, G2, G8, H2, H4, L2, M6, N6, P6, S2, S4, U2, U6, V8, X2, X8
Metro track work
From Metro:
Red Line
- Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and continuing through system closing on Sunday, free shuttle buses will replace Red Line trains between Shady Grove and Rockville to allow for NTSB-recommended track circuit module replacement.
- As a result, Shady Grove Station will be closed.
- Red Line trains will operate between Rockville and Glenmont every 10 minutes between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and at regular weekend intervals at other times.
- Customers using shuttle bus service should allow 15 minutes of additional travel time.
- The last Glenmont-bound train will depart Rockville at 2:33 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and at 11:33 p.m. on Sunday night.
Orange Line
- Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and continuing through system closing on Sunday, Orange Line trains will single track between East Falls Church and West Falls Church to allow for cable installation in support of the Dulles rail project.
- Throughout the weekend, Orange Line trains will depart Vienna and New Carrollton every 20 minutes.
Blue Line
- Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and continuing through system closing on Sunday, Blue Line trains will single track between Stadium-Armory and Addison Road to allow for repairs to the concrete slabs beneath the rails.
- Throughout the weekend, Blue Line trains will depart Franconia-Springfield and Largo Town Center every 20 minutes.
Green Line
- Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and continuing through system closing on Sunday, Green Line trains will single track between Fort Totten and Prince George’s Plaza to allow for track upgrades.
- Throughout the weekend, Green Line trains will depart Greenbelt and Branch Avenue every 16 minutes.
Yellow Line
- To coordinate schedules with single tracking on the Blue and Green lines, Yellow Line trains will operate every 16 minutes throughout the weekend between Huntington and Mt. Vernon Square.
- Customers traveling to/from stations north of Mt. Vernon Square should use Green Line trains to complete their trip.
Circus at the Verizon Center
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be at the Verizon Center all weekend, so watch for increased pedestrian and vehicular traffic in Chinatown. Travel & Adventure Show
The Travel & Adventure Show will be running at the D.C. Convention Center all weekend, and will feature television personalities, trip giveaways, live music and culinary exhibits.
I-495 construction
Scheduled for Friday night, all lanes will be blocked on the Inner Loop of the Beltway at I-395 between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. while crews work on the Express Lanes Project.
Traffic will be diverted onto the ramp to northbound I-395 where detour signs will direct drivers to Edsall Road, then back to the Inner Loop.
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