Metro’s 24/7 track work project for this summer continues on the Green, Yellow and now incorporates the Red Line this weekend. Stops are scheduled for Interstate 66 inside of the Capital Beltway, and a transformation of the Nutley Street interchange is set for overnight.
Here’s what to know heading into the weekend.
Roadwork
Virginia
Let’s just preface this report by saying that all work listed here is weather dependent. And that’s exactly what happened last weekend with the I-66 work scheduled in Arlington. A big tropical storm was threatening the region, running just off the coast, and crews decided, with a big split project set for I-66, “better safe than sorry.” As luck would have it, the expected storm never affected the work area, but still, the work was stymied.
Thus, the key phrase going forward for work will be “on or about.”
There are two big happenings on I-66 this weekend.
The first project starts Friday, July 17, in Fairfax, where a new traffic pattern is expected on westbound I-66, with drivers using a temporary detour to access southbound Nutley Street. The loop ramp from westbound I-66 to southbound Nutley Street will close beginning on or about Friday evening.
This closure and a corresponding detour are part of a series of ramp closures and temporary traffic pattern changes being implemented at the Nutley Street interchange as part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project.
Weather permitting, the follow changes are expected to be implemented Friday night for the next six weeks:
• The existing loop ramp from westbound I-66 to southbound Nutley Street will close around 9 p.m.
• Traffic will be directed to continue west on I-66 to reach the collector-distributor road and exit for Vienna/Fairfax/GMU Station, where at the top of the ramp turn right for Country Creek Road, then continue straight and the road becomes Virginia Center Boulevard, then turn right at the traffic signal onto southbound Nutley Street.
So that brings us to the “projected” work inside the Beltway. A Virginia Department of Transportation spokesman said that the lane split, which had been planned for July 10, has been pushed to this weekend.
In Arlington, I-66 will be reduced to a single lane with some stoppages both Friday and Saturday nights. The Friday night closures will be for lane striping and putting out barrels to establish the lane split, and Saturday night the concrete barrier will fortify the lane divide.
There are full stoppages planned for I-66 eastbound beginning Friday night. With the Bon Air Bridge set for reconstruction, the travel lanes of eastbound I-66 will be divided for the next three months as part of the I-66 Widening Project.
The lane closures and overnight traffic stoppages planned for eastbound I-66 in Arlington will be needed to implement a traffic shift that splits the two lanes of I-66 east for more than a half mile beginning near the Patrick Henry Drive overpass. This split will allow concrete bridge deck work to progress in the center section of the existing bridge over the Custis Trail at Bon Air Park.
The details include the following:
• Between 8 p.m. and 9 a.m. on Friday, July 17, and Saturday, July 18, one lane will be closed on eastbound I-66 from approximately Sycamore Street to Exit 71 (Fairfax Drive/Glebe Road) to implement a traffic split.
• Temporary full traffic stoppages of up to 20 minutes will occur during the overnight hours from approximately midnight to 4 a.m.
• The split roadway configuration on eastbound I-66 East is expected to be in place for two to three months.
• The travel lane split will begin approximately 1,000 feet before the Patrick Henry Drive overpass to about 1,000 feet before the Harrison Street overpass.
In completion, this widening project will add travel lanes along 4 miles of eastbound I-66 slated to open by the fall. It includes new bridges over U.S. 29 for the Washington &Old Dominion Trail, as well as a new direct access ramp from eastbound I-66 to the West Falls Church Metrorail Station at Virginia Route 7/Leesburg Pike.
Work in Middleburg
In Middleburg, part of Loudoun County, road work for permanent crosswalk repairs on Washington Street/U.S. 50 begins on July 17 and runs for three weekends through Aug. 10. Cars passing through Middleburg will be detoured away from the work zone. No work will be done the weekend of July 31-Aug. 2 due to the summer sidewalk sale.The work is scheduled to end at 5 a.m. Aug. 10.
Work will be done to replace the concrete framework that holds the brick crosswalks in place. The concrete has crumbled, causing a road hazard. A detour will be in place within Middleburg beginning at 10 p.m. each Friday, lasting until 5 a.m. the following Monday. Sidewalks will not be affected and businesses on Washington Street will remain open.
Maryland
In Frederick, a new pipe installation project is expected to begin on Maryland Route 26/Liberty Road at Old Annapolis and Water Street beginning on or about Friday, July 17, at 8 p.m., through Sunday, July 19, crews will close and detour Md. 26 for the underground pipe installation.
The detour will move travelers via Old Liberty Road.
In Howard County, the roadway resurfacing project is continuing along U.S. 29/Columbia Pike at the bridge over the Patuxent River. Every night from 9 p.m. through noon on Sunday, crews will be shifting sides for paving just south of Old Columbia Road and running over the Patuxent River bridge to the Howard/Montgomery County line.
Motorists can expect delays and rough pavement when traveling through.
In Montgomery County, the emergency bridge joint repair continues to close lanes on the Capital Beltway’s Outer Loop between Md. 650/New Hampshire Avenue and Md. 193/University Boulevard. Drivers can expect intermittent closures of single to multiple lanes weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and overnights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. to continue through late August.
The State Highway Administration scheduled this emergency work zone to repair a damaged bridge joint over the Northwest Branch bridge that crosses over the Anacostia.
D.C.
The District Department of Transportation has temporarily closed single lanes and shoulders on the following roadways to perform construction activities along the I-295/D.C. 295 corridor.
The following closures will be in place daily through Sunday, July 19, weather permitting:
• Full ramp closure of the on-ramp from MLK Jr. Avenue SE to I-295 northbound;
• South Capitol Street, SE is closed between MLK Jr. Avenue and Malcolm X Avenue through 11 a.m. Sunday, with detours posted.
The closures are for pavement work, guardrail installation and equipment mobilization as part of the improving the I-295/D.C. 295 corridor.
DDOT will temporarily close the Suitland Parkway, SE between South Capitol Street, SE/SW and Firth Sterling Avenue, SE on weeknights from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Saturday morning for bridge reconstruction. In the event of weather or other unforeseen delays, the Saturday closure will occur on Sunday.
A marked detour will be in place during these closures.
In Northwest D.C., temporarily lane closures have begun around Chevy Chase Circle. This paving project is scheduled to continue from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The project is expected to be completed by Monday, July 27, weather permitting.
During this time frame, motorists can expect delays with flaggers. Traffic control devices will be in place, as various lanes will be closed for milling and paving.
Drivers are reminded to obey signs and directions and travel through with caution.
Metro
There are changes on the Green, Yellow and Red Lines’ 24/7 track work project this weekend, so riders should allow additional travel time as Metro performs around-the-clock track work along segments of these lines, including closures of selected stations.
Through Saturday, the Columbia Heights and Georgia Ave-Petworth stations are closed. Buses will replace trains between U Street and Fort Totten (lower level) stations. There will be stops at the Columbia Heights and Georgia Avenue-Petworth stations.
The Yellow Line trains are operating between Huntington and U Street only. Riders should consider the Red Line as an alternate traveling between Fort Totten and Gallery Place-Chinatown.
Beginning Sunday, July 19, through July 25, Red Line work closes the Union Station and NoMa-Gallaudet stations. Buses will replace trains between Judiciary Square and Rhode Island Avenue stations, with stops at Union Station and NoMa-Gallaudet.
Riders should consider using Green/Yellow Line as an alternate for travel between Fort Totten and Gallery Place-Chinatown.
The summer shutdown and platform rehabilitation project continues as nine Metrorail stations on the Orange and Silver Line remain closed. With no Silver Line trains, Orange Line trains operate between Ballston-MU and New Carrollton only.
All stations west of Ballston-MU are closed, with stations between Ballston-MU and Largo Town Center being served by Orange and/or Blue Line trains.
Metrobus will operate from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. on a modified Sunday schedule.
For your safety, all customers are required to wear face coverings when riding mass transit.
