There are full stops and road repairs scheduled for Interstate 66 and U.S. Route 29 in Virginia this weekend. Paving has begun on I-95 in Howard County, Maryland. Also, Metro is opening more stations on Sunday.
Here’s what you need to know for the roads and for public transportation this weekend.
Metro
Beginning Sunday, Aug. 23, the Arlington Cemetery station, which has been closed since March due the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to reopen.
This now leaves only two of Metro’s 91 stations, Vienna and Dunn Loring, closed during the transit system’s response to the public health emergency.
Also reopening Sunday — well ahead of schedule — will be the four Orange Line stations west of Ballston that have been closed all summer for platform reconstruction. This will officially open all stations of this project as riders have already seen the early reopening of the West Falls Church and the five Silver Line stations resumed last weekend.
With the only two remaining station closures set to be lifted Sept. 8, this will mark the first time since March 19 that all Metrorail stations will be open and resuming service.
As rail service has returned to near pre-pandemic levels, Metrobus will dramatically increase their service beginning Sunday as well.
Here’s a summary of this weekend’s service: Metrorail will operate from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Saturday, and 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Sunday. Beginning Sunday, Aug. 23, the East Falls Church and Arlington Cemetery stations will reopen.
- Red Line Trains every 12-15 minutes
- Blue Line Trains every 15-20 minutes. Arlington Cemetery Station reopens Sunday. Trains will pass through Arlington Cemetery Station on Saturday without stopping
- Orange Line Trains every 15-20 minutes between West Falls Church and New Carrollton
- Vienna and Dunn Loring stations closed
- East Falls Church Station reopens Sunday
- Trains will pass through East Falls Church Station on Saturday without stopping
Free shuttle bus service will operate as follows:
- Vienna – West Falls Church
- Vienna – Dunn Loring – West Falls Church
- East Falls Church – Ballston (Saturday only)
- Silver Line Trains every 15-20 minutes. East Falls Church Station reopens Sunday
- Trains will pass through East Falls Church Station on Saturday without stopping
- Free shuttle buses will be provided between East Falls Church and Ballston (Saturday only)
- Green Line and Yellow Line Trains every 22 minutes and will single track between Georgia Ave-Petworth and Fort Totten stations due to fire system upgrades
For your safety and the safety of others, customers are required to wear cloth face coverings or masks while traveling on Metro.
Roadwork
Maryland
In Howard County, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration has begun patching and resurfacing several bridge approaches on I-95 for safety measures as well as to enhance the roadway surfaces.
The work is being performed on I-95 and MD-32 Sykesville Road overnights between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., and with possible daytime hours slated between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., dependent on weather and crew availability.
Drivers traveling through these work zones can expect electronic message boards, signs and barrels alerting to lane closures and possible detours.
MDOT SHA will be working hard to maintain safe traffic mobility through the works zones and would like to remind drivers to stay alert and focused with reduced speeds for their safety and the safety of the crew in construction zones.
Locations of the projects will be:
- Northbound I-95 over Stansfield Road
- Northbound I-95 over the Little Patuxent River
- Southbound I-95 over the Patuxent River at the Prince George’s County line
- Montgomery Road over I-95
- Guilford Road over I-95
- Gorman Road over I-95
- Eastbound and westbound MD 32 over I-95
In Prince George’s County, MDOT SHA has temporarily closed the Forest Drive/Columbian Way crossover in Bowie.
Drivers through this area will now be directed to use the northern crossover at Sylvan Drive.
This closure is needed so crews can complete roadway work at Forest Drive and stormwater management activities along MD-3 Crain Highway southbound near the Forest Drive intersection.
The Forest Drive/Columbian Way crossover will reopen in the fall and is part of the MD-3 at Forest Drive Geometric Improvement Project.
Virginia
In Centreville, US-29 will be reduced to two lanes under I-66 this weekend for bridge beam installation as flaggers are scheduled to direct single lanes of traffic overnight.
The installation of these beams requires lane reduction beginning at 9 p.m. Friday and continuing through 5 a.m. Monday.
Drivers using the ramps to and from I-66 will not be allowed to make left turns during this time and should expect delays.
Here are more details:
US-29 north and south at I-66
- 9 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday, US-29 will be reduced to a single travel lane in each direction
- Two-way traffic will run in the northbound lanes of US-29 under I-66
- Overnight Friday and Saturday, from about 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., and Sunday from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., flaggers will alternate a single lane of traffic in each direction
- Drivers can expect periodic stoppages of up to 20 minutes for crews to lift bridge beams into place and all lanes reopen by 5 a.m. Monday
Ramp from I-66 west to US-29
- No left turn to US-29 northbound
- Drivers will be directed to turn right southbound, stay to the left, and make a U-turn at O’Day Drive onto US-29 north
Ramp from I-66 east to US-29
- No left turn to US 29 southbound
- Drivers will turn right on US-29 north, stay to the left and continue to the intersection of Trinity Parkway/Machen Road. At the traffic signal, using the left-most -of the two left-turn lanes, make a U-turn onto US-29 south
Ramp from US-29 North to I-66 east
- The ramp from US-29 north to I-66 east will be closed
- Drivers will continue farther north to the intersection of Trinity Parkway/Machen Road. At the traffic signal, drivers will use the left-most of the two left-turn lanes to make a U-turn onto US-29 south, then stay to the right and follow signs to I-66 east
- As an alternate route, drivers can continue farther north to Route 28 north, stay to the right, and follow signs to I-66 east
Turn lane from US-29 south to I-66 west
- No left turn to I-66 west
- Drivers will continue farther south, stay to the left and make a U-turn at O’Day Drive onto US-29 north, follow signs to I-66 west
- Similar weekend lane closures for bridge beam installation over northbound US-29 are also scheduled for next weekend
At Gallows Road and I-66 In Fairfax, the installation of bridge beams for the new Gallows Road Bridge over I-66 will require reducing Gallows Road over I-66 to one travel lane in each direction from 11 a.m. Saturday through 8 a.m. Monday.
Northbound and southbound Gallows Road traffic will run on Gallows Road South during this period.
From around noon on Saturday through 10 a.m. Sunday, flaggers will alternate northbound and southbound Gallows Road traffic in a single lane over I-66. These temporary lane closures on Gallows Road are necessary to allow space for the large crane that is needed to set the beams for the new Gallows Road Bridge.
Details for upcoming lane closures include:
Gallows Road over I-66
- Beginning around 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, through 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, Gallows Road will be reduced to two lanes with one travel lane in each direction. Two-way traffic will run in the southbound lanes over I-66.
- From around noon on Saturday, Aug. 22, through 10 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, northbound and southbound Gallows Road traffic will be flagged with alternating travel in a single lane over I-66.
- Pedestrian and bicycle access will continue uninterrupted using the sidewalk on the southbound side of Gallows Road.
- Entrances to nearby businesses and the parking garage and bus loop at the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metrorail Station will not be impacted.
- All lanes will reopen by 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24.
I-66 East from Cedar Lane in Vienna to I-495
- I-66 East approaching Gallows Road will be reduced to a single travel lane during overnight hours Saturday, Aug. 22, from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., and Sunday, Aug. 23, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- Drivers should expect periodic 30-minute stoppages each night for crews to lift bridge beams into place.
- All lanes will reopen by 9 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, and by 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24.
In Arlington, road repairs with full stops of travel are scheduled on I-66 eastbound just before bridge over Lee Highway at Exit 72 again this weekend.
The Virginia Department of Transportation has scheduled, weather permitting, single-lane closures on eastbound I-66 between 9 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.
Here’s the work schedule, according to VDOT:
- Left lane closed: 9 p.m. Friday until 7 p.m. Saturday
- There will also be intermittent full closures up to 20 minutes each on eastbound I-66 between 9 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday
- Right lane closed: 7 p.m. Saturday until 5 a.m. Monday morning
- There will also be intermittent full closures up to 20 minutes each on eastbound I-66 from 8 p.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday, and from 8 p.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday
Drivers can expect delays and are advised to use alternate routes.
In Leesburg, beginning Sunday through Thursday, the eastbound Route 7 Bypass bridge over Route 15/Business Route 15 (South King Street) will have nighttime single-lane closures (weather permitting). This work starts on Thursday night, Aug. 20 and again on Sunday night, Aug. 23 through Thursday night, Aug. 27 for bridge repair work.
The work is scheduled as follows, according to VDOT:
- Left lane closed: 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20 to 5 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21
- Right lane closed: Sunday night, Aug. 23 through Thursday night, Aug. 27 from 8 p.m. each night through 5 a.m. the following morning
Drivers can expect delays and are advised to use alternate routes.
D.C.
In Southeast, temporary closure of Suitland Parkway is continuing into Saturday.
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) continues to close the Suitland Parkway between South Capitol Street SE/SW and Firth Sterling Avenue SE nightly from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
These closures are scheduled to continue through 9 p.m. Saturday. These closures are necessary for construction activities associated with the South Capitol Street Corridor Project, which includes construction of the New Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge and the reconstruction of the I-295/ Suitland Parkway interchange.
With this work, there is also a temporary closure of Howard Road under I-295 through Aug. 23.
In the event of weather or other unforeseen delays, the Saturday closure will occur on the Sunday following the scheduled closure. A marked detour will be in place during these closures.
