Weekend traffic: Concerts, Metro work, road repairs make for bad mix

WASHINGTON — From Metro’s work to big acts coming to town for shows, getting around the D.C. area this weekend will come with some challenges.

The biggest headaches will come to people who plan to ride the rails to get around town.

Due to maintenance work, Orange, Blue and Silver Line trains will not run between the Eastern Market and Benning Road/Minnesota Ave stations. Also, no Blue line trains are running in Virginia between Arlington National Cemetery and Rosslyn.

In addition to Metro maintenance work, more than a hundred first responders will conduct a safety drill at the Greensboro station on the Silver Line in Vienna, Virginia. Trains will not stop at the station from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. Sunday.

Due to track work, people are encouraged to use their cars instead of public transit to attend several big events. Here’s a list of some other major events happening throughout the region over the weekend.

Washington, D.C.

Giant National Capital BBQ Battle  | On Saturday and Sunday, a number of road closures will be in effect downtown for the 2016 Giant National Capital BBQ Battle. The street closures begin Friday night and will last through midnight on Sunday. Closures include:

  • Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, between Ninth and 14th Streets, Northwest
  • 10th Street, Northwest between E Street Northwest and Constitution Avenue, Northwest
  • 11th Street, Northwest, between E Street, Northwest and Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest
  • 12th Street, Northwest, between E Street, Northwest and Constitution Avenue, Northwest
  • 13th Street, Northwest, between E Street, Northwest and Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest

HBCU Alumni 5K | Saturday morning, the HBCU Alumni 5K will take place, closing portions of several streets around Howard University, including Georgia Avenue. The closures include:

  • Georgia Avenue, Northwest, from Harvard Street, Northwest to Barry Place, Northwest
  • W Street, Northwest, from Fourth Street to Sixth Street, Northwest
  • Sixth Street, Northwest from W Street, Northwest and Gresham Street, Northwest
  • Fifth Street, Northwest from Gresham Street, Northwest to Howard Place, Northwest
  • Fourth Street, Northwest from Howard Place, Northwest to W Street, Northwest

D.C. United | At 7 p.m. Saturday, D.C. United will take on New England, and since Stadium Armory Metrorail station is closed, shuttle buses will be used to get fans to RFK stadium.

Maryland

Quicken Loans National | In Montgomery County, great weather and the Quicken Loans National is expected to put a lot of golf fans on the Capital Beltway and River Road near Congressional Country Club.

Guns N’ Roses | On Sunday night, Guns N’ Roses is playing FedEx field in Landover.  The concert is expected to make the Beltway a busy place, since many may choose to use the car over dealing with bus bridges inside of Metro’s work zone.

Road work | Also, road improvement work will cause delays, in Bethesda on Wisconsin Avenue between Woodmont Avenue and Battery Lane. Expect single and double lane closures at times, as new asphalt is laid down.

In Prince George’s County, the Maryland State Highway Administration has projects underway, including on eastbound U.S. 50. Also sections of Greenbelt Road and Landover Road will be resurfaced. Expect lane closures during mostly the overnight hours.

Virginia

Riverdance  and Dixie Chicks| Riverdance will perform at Wolf Trap on Saturday and Sunday. The Dixie Chicks will be playing at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow at 7 p.m.

Loudoun County road closures | Loudoun County has issued a warning to residents about several events taking place in the county over the weekend:

  • On Saturday and Sunday, James Monroe Highway (Rt. 15) and Tutt Lane in the Leesburg area may see delays due to an event in the morning and afternoon.
  • On Saturday, the Lost Corner roadway be impacted by an event in the Lucketts area.
  • A portion of Soave Drive will be closed Saturday night in the Broadlands area.
Mike Murillo

Mike Murillo is a reporter and anchor at WTOP. Before joining WTOP in 2013, he worked in radio in Orlando, New York City and Philadelphia.

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