The weather this weekend, albeit cold, is not expected to change the bridge demolition projects planned on Interstate 66, bridge rehabilitation and resurfacing on the Maryland side of the Beltway or the single-tracking and platform work scheduled for Metro.
Roadwork
Virginia
This week has seen bridge demolition in Centreville as part of the I-66 Transforms Outside the Beltway Project, and that work is slated to continue overnights into this weekend. There are full over closures of I-66 at Route 28 schedule through Sunday.
The existing Route 28 bridges must be demolished to create room for new bridges and ramp connections. The partial demolition of the old Route 28 South Bridge has begun.
This bridge is to be removed in sections to allow for the new bridge and ramps while keeping Route 28 open to traffic.
Much of the bridge is directly over I-66, which is why the demolition is taking place during the overnight hours when multiple lanes of I-66 can be closed with the least impact to travel. Depending on the weather, all work is scheduled to continue into this weekend.
What motorists can expect: I-66 westbound will close at Route 28 and I-66 eastbound will close at Route 29 (Lee Highway) during the overnight hours through Monday.
Multiple I-66 ramps to/from Route 28 and Route 29 will also be closed. On I-66, motorists can expect graduated lane reduction toward the closure and exit points.
The I-66 westbound detour will send drivers north on Route 28 to U-turn at Westfields Boulevard. If traveling I-66 eastbound, the detour pushes motorists off at Route 29 northbound to proceed to Route 28 north following signs rejoin I-66.
With this work, the ramps from Route 29 to I-66 East, Route 28 South to I-66 east, ramps from I-66 West to Route 28 South and the ramp from I-66 East to Route 29 South will all be closed with detours posted.
In Fairfax, during the overnight hours and scheduled into Saturday morning, there has been bridge demolition continuing at Waples Mill Road. This work has reduced I-66 approaching Waples Mill Road to a single lane in both directions.
During this time, motorists have experienced periodic stoppages of up to 20 minutes between midnight and 4 a.m. each night, with all lanes reopening by 5 a.m.
In Gainesville, work continues near the Prince William Parkway/Route 234 Bypass on I-66. This is due to the bridge project at University Boulevard spanning I-66, which reduces travel here to a single lane overnight.
In Fairfax, bridge beam installation continues through the weekend at the US-50 / I-66 interchange as part of the Transformation Project. Overnight travel on I-66 approaching US-50 is reduced to a single lane in each direction for about one mile with all lanes of I-66 eastbound closed and two-way travel in the westbound lanes.
There is overnight work scheduled for I-395 southbound this weekend for both the main and Express lanes through Alexandria.
Be sure to tune into WTOP News and traffic on the 8s for the latest. And, if you’re experiencing something that we’re not reporting, please be part of the process and give us a call at 866-304-WTOP.
DC
In Northwest, this week saw the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) implement a new Bus Lane Project on 16th Street closing lanes at Spring Road, Spring Place, Oak Street, and Columbia Road/Harvard Street.
This work will be weather dependent at off-peak times between the hours of 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and Saturday through March 13.
Travelers can expect short interruptions to two-way traffic, lanes tapered as necessary to allow for the safe channelizing of traffic and sidewalk closures possible. Pedestrian channelizes, detours, and signage will be installed when these sidewalk closures are needed.
The work will also continue as DDOT continues the I-295/DC-295 Rehabilitation project, closing ramps, lanes and roadway changes through this weekend.
There continues to be lanes closed along South Capitol Street between Firth Sterling and the Suitland Parkway with full roadway closures and detours during the overnight hours.
This work also closes ramps from I-295 to South Capitol Street and from MLK Jr. Avenue to I-295 continuously.
Maryland
We’ve got our continuing bridge rehabilitation projects on the Beltway and now continuing Purple Line work. Plus, the Maryland State Highway Administration, MDOT SHA, remains committed to a rehabilitation project of I-270, US-1 and MD-450.
This does show up in various locations with lane and ramp closures overnights and weekends.
As for bridge rehabilitation zones on I-495/Capital Beltway, which continues overnights and weekends weather permitting, there are two locations.
First, the Beltway’s bridge over the Suitland Parkway, which is in desperate need of repair, has seen lanes reduced to at times only one available during nights and weekends.
The work can be seen on both sides of the Beltway anywhere between MD-4 Pennsylvania Avenue and the Allentown Road/Joint Base Andrews exits weather permitting.
The second bridge project has been at Seminary Road, just to the west of Georgia Avenue, which sees Inner and Outer loop lane closures between Georgia and Connecticut Avenues and off-peak full stops.
Here too, at times there could only be a single lane of travel with delays possible overnights and weekends.
In Frederick, the I-270 southbound exit ramp to northbound MD-85, and in turn the northbound MD-85 Buckeystown Pike ramp to southbound I-270 will close on the overnights for pipe installation. This work continues Sunday through Friday, weather permitting for the winter season.
Also, the I-270 southbound ramps from MD-121 and MD-109 continue to see the acceleration lane expansion project closing or reducing lanes during off-peak times, which is scheduled through the summer.
For the Purple Line, crews have resumed daytime and nighttime utility relocations along Kenilworth Avenue (MD 201) between Campus Drive and Riverdale Road (MD 410).
Work takes place, depending on the weather, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays and weekends.
Beginning Monday, crews will be closing a segment of Rittenhouse Street between Kenilworth Avenue (MD 201) and 57th Avenue for approximately 3 weeks to perform utility relocations. Work will occur overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Monday through Friday and on weekends.
And there is now a long-term lane closure of the westbound right lane University Boulevard (MD 193) between Riggs Road (MD 212) and Guilford Road from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily over the next 3 months, weather permitting. Access to businesses, driveways, and bus stop will be maintained.
Metro
This weekend will see the ongoing platform shutdown with no Blue Line services and the Arlington National Cemetery (Blue Line) and the Addison Road (Blue and Silver) stations closed through May 23.
There will also be maintenance causing single-tracking on the Red between Van Ness and Friendship Heights for cable work.
And the Yellow Line will be single tracking between Pentagon City and L’Enfant Plaza for grout pad rehabilitation.
There will be normal weekend hours of operation from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Sunday with trains serving 89 of 91 stations due to Blue Line work.
Weekend service summary:
- Red Line: Trains every 15 minutes
- Single tracking between Van Ness and Friendship Heights
- Blue Line: No service
- Arlington Cemetery, Addison Road stations closed; free shuttles provided
- Franconia-Springfield and Van Dorn Street stations served by additional Yellow Line trains operating between Franconia-Springfield and National Airport
- Travelers to/from Virginia and DC via Yellow Line may transfer at King Street-Old Town, Braddock Road or National Airport
- Orange Line: Trains every 15–20 minutes
- Silver Line: Trains every 15–20 minutes
- Addison Road station closed
- Free shuttles between Capitol Heights and Addison Road
- Yellow Line: Trains every 20 minutes
- In two segments, between Huntington to Greenbelt and Franconia-Springfield to Braddock Road
- Single tracking between Pentagon City and L’Enfant Plaza
- Green Line: Trains every 15-20 minutes
For your safety and the safety of others, customers are required to wear cloth face coverings or masks while traveling on Metro.
