Significant road construction and some Metro track work could slow you down this weekend all across the region.
Major road closures
U.S. 50 (Arlington Boulevard) is scheduled to be closed in both directions in Seven Corners from Friday night until Monday morning for the demolition and replacement of the bridge carrying Wilson Boulevard.
The Virginia Department of Transportation expects the closure to create delays in Fairfax County, and is urging drivers to take other routes.
Traffic in each direction on Route 50 will be funneled onto the Route 50 service roads. Wilson Boulevard will also be closed, with detours onto Route 7, Patrick Henry Drive and Route 50, VDOT said.
In Stafford County, Virginia, Courthouse Road is scheduled to be closed just west of Interstate 95 also from Friday night until early Monday morning.
An approximately 1-mile detour will be posted to loop drivers past Embrey Mill Park as VDOT crews finish a new intersection with Austin Ridge Drive. By Monday morning’s rush hour, a new traffic light will be turned on at that intersection and another new traffic light will be activated about 2 miles west at Winding Creek Road/Ramoth Church Road and Courthouse Road.
The changes are tied into $195 million in Courthouse Road widening work and a new I-95 interchange at Exit 140 due to partially open by the end of this year. Many more traffic shifts are expected this fall, and the work is due to be fully finished next summer.
Much of the westbound Dulles Access road will also be closed from Friday night through Monday morning for Silver Line work, diverting traffic onto the left side of the westbound Dulles Toll Road, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said. Two left lanes on the Toll Road will be blocked, which could create delays
Other construction closures are planned across the region for projects such as I-95, Interstate 66, Interstate 395 toll lanes, D.C. and Interstate 295 work, the Frederick Douglass Bridge, and Memorial Bridge construction.
On I-395, lane closures are planned that will slow northbound traffic from Friday night until Monday morning. The single and double lane closures in spots from Duke Street to Pentagon City are meant to allow for bridge repairs. The 395 HOV lanes are scheduled to be open pointing northbound all weekend for traffic headed into D.C. The 95 Express Lanes are scheduled to operate on a normal reversal schedule.
A number of roads around the region remain fully or partially closed for flooding or sinkhole repairs.
Also expect extra traffic around fairs, festivals and events such as the Citi Open.
On the plus side, Route 29 in Fauquier County, just south of Gainesville, is reopening this weekend after a several-week closure.
Metro work
In addition to the continuing shutdown of all Blue and Yellow Line stations south of Reagan National Airport, Metro has single tracking scheduled that impacts Red, Green, Blue and Silver Line stations.
Franconia-Springfield, Huntington, Van Dorn Street, Eisenhower Avenue, King Street and Braddock Road stations remain closed through Sept. 8. Shuttle buses are running between the ends of the lines and Pentagon and on two different local routes, but regular buses and other options may be better at times.
This weekend, Blue Line trains are scheduled to run between Reagan National and New Carrollton rather than to Largo Town Center due to single-tracking near Addison Road. Silver Line trains will run as usual between Largo Town Center, Stadium-Armory and Wiehle-Reston East.
Yellow Line trains are cut back on both ends Saturday and Sunday — with service only between Reagan National and Mt. Vernon Square. Green Line trains are reduced to running every 20 minutes with single tracking between Mt. Vernon Square and U Street.
Red Line trains are scheduled to single track between Fort Totten and Takoma, but still run every 15 minutes. Additional trains are scheduled between Shady Grove and Rhode Island Avenue from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For commuter rail riders, MARC’s Penn Line schedule changes Monday with the scheduled completion of Amtrak track work south of Baltimore. Track work is now shifting to the area north of Baltimore. There are no changes to the weekend schedule.
