This week overall was great weather for roadwork and that will continue into this weekend with scheduled closures of the Fairfax County Parkway and Interstate 66, new paving projects in Maryland and as the Interstate 295/DC-295 corridor project ramps up. Metro’s Blue Line shutdown is also coming to an end.
Roadwork
Virginia
The ever-changing landscape of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway project continues this week. Varying lane and ramp closures will be in effect.
The travel lanes on westbound I-66 between Nutley Street and Route 123 Chain Bridge Road will be shifted into a new configuration for approximately two months, starting overnight Friday.
Once this split is completed, the left (HOV) lane will be separated from the three general purpose lanes by a barrier-enclosed construction area. Drivers will be directed by signs and message boards to stay to the right at the lane split to access Route 123 North and South. The HOV lane will be a thru-lane only with no access to Route 123.
This temporary lane configuration is one of many traffic shifts that will occur along I-66 East and West between Route 29 Lee Highway in Gainesville and I-495 this year. Traffic is being shifted to new pavement on the outer portion of the roadway with construction focused on building the future I-66 Express Lanes in the center of the roadway.
Another significant closure that’s been occurring all week is on Route 286/Fairfax County Parkway at I-66. As part of the I-66 bridges over Route 286 portion of the project, motorists have seen full lane closures along with varying ramps between I-66 and Route 286 overnight this week, which will continue through Saturday night. This bridge beam installation work also closes lanes on I-66 on the approach to the interchange.
Overnights through Thursday, motorists have seen Fairfax County Parkway southbound reduced to a single lane before a full closure and detour between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. nightly. For Friday and Saturday nights, these closures will also apply with a slight twist in detours and reopening times.
Friday:
- Route 286 southbound at I-66 is reduced to a single lane by 9 p.m.
- All southbound lanes closed and detoured between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
- Traffic directed farther west for a U-turn at Route 28.
- Route 286 northbound at I-66 will be reduced to one lane with all lanes reopening by 8 a.m.
- All ramps from I-66 eastbound to northbound Route 286, I-66 westbound to southbound Route 286 and Route 286 southbound to eastbound I-66 will all be closed and detoured.
Saturday:
Road crews are scheduled to reverse order from aforementioned work on Saturday night. All lane reduction and closures, along with ramp closures, will be relegated to northbound Route 286/ Fairfax County Parkway at I-66.
- Route 286 northbound at I-66 is reduced to a single lane by 9 p.m.
- All northbound lanes closed and detoured between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
- Traffic directed farther east for a U-turn at Route 50.
- Route 286 southbound at I-66 will be reduced to one lane with all lanes reopening by 8 a.m.
- Ramps from I-66 eastbound to northbound Route 286 and Route 286 northbound to westbound I-66 will be closed and detoured.
This is a good time to mention, all work is always weather dependent and subject to change.
Be sure to stay tuned to WTOP traffic on the 8s for the latest, or be part of the process and contribute any updates by calling the Traffic Center at 866-304-WTOP.
Speaking of change, the pipe preplacement project that was originally scheduled in Haymarket last week was pushed into this weekend instead.
According to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the closure of Antioch Road/Route 681 between Gaines and Waterfall roads will begin this Friday at 7 p.m. and continue through 5 a.m. Monday morning.
Those needing to reach areas of Antioch Road will have access; however, traffic will not be able to go beyond the pipe replacement area just south of Waterfall Road. Through traffic will be detoured to Waterfall Road, Route 15/James Madison Highway and Route 55/John Marshall Highway to Antioch Road.
D.C.
Motorists along DC-295 saw the beginnings of temporary single to double lane closures during off-peak times this week as part of the I-295/DC-295 rehabilitation project.
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has started alternating lane closures, with the help of traffic control signs to guide traffic, between Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue and Benning Road. These closures are expected to continue, weather depending, from now through June 5 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily.
There is also construction activity scheduled to continue through this weekend for I-295 in a couple of locations. Motorists to or from the District this weekend can anticipate lane closures at the follow locations:
- I-295 between Laboratory Road/Naval Research Lab (Exit1) and Suitland Parkway/JBAB (Exit 3), single lane closure between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- South Capitol Street between the Douglass Bridge and Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., SE, right lane closed daily between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- Malcolm X Avenue between South Capitol and 2nd Streets, SE, single lane closed all weekend.
- MLK, Jr. Avenue, SE ramp to I-295 northbound closed all weekend.
These closures are required for pavement work, guardrail installation and moving equipment as part of the ongoing corridor restoration project. There could be extending closures possible as weather permits. Be sure to stay tuned for this fluid and ever-changing improvement work.
With this work, expect closures of Suitland Parkway between Firth Sterling and South Capitol Street with detours posted.
Also in the District, the restoration project for Massachusetts Avenue, NW, has begun closing lanes during off-peak hours now through June 30. Here, motorists can expect intermittent lane closures in both directions anywhere between Waterside Drive and 20th Street. With weather permitting, most times for closures of one lane at a time will be Monday through Friday between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Maryland
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) has some ongoing projects.
They began new work in Charles County along Route 6 between US-301 and Willow Lane. Late night travelers here can expect paving and striping lane closures between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., Sundays through Thursdays, with daily closures between 9 a.m. and 5 a.m.
For this weekend, MDOT SHA is set to begin a project on Sunday for the Interstate 70 bridge of US-15. Crews are set to begin at 9 p.m. to brace the planks underneath of the I-70 westbound bridge, which travels over the ramp to southbound US-15. There is also new off-peak paving on Route 224 between Route 344 and Reeder Run Road, which started Monday and is scheduled to continue between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
In Frederick, a new project kicked off on westbound I-70 at the bridge over southbound US-15. This bridge maintenance has seen southbound lane and ramp closures on US-15 with detours posted Sunday through Friday between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
In Howard Country, a new project started this week on Route 103/Montgomery Road between Route 104 Waterloo Road and Long Gate Parkway. Maintenance crews have plans to patch and resurface the roadway with lane shifts and flagging middays through July.
In Prince George’s County, inside of the Beltway, the paving project on Route 5/Branch Avenue from the District line through Curtis Drive continues between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., as well as overnights between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. with work permitted during off-peak times through the spring of 2022.
And continual work can be expected on I-95/I-495 Beltway between Route 4/Pennsylvania Avenue and JBAB/Allentown Road with lanes closed for the bridge replacement at the Suitland Parkway. This work closes single to multiple lanes nightly from 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. and Saturday through 11 a.m. Sunday.
There is Purple Line work scheduled for this weekend. In Glen Ridge/New Carrollton, crews have begun waterline relocations on northbound Annapolis Road (Route 450), south of Veterans Parkway (Route 410). The work takes place between 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays, and as needed, on weekends with lane closures occurring. This work is scheduled through the end of June, weather permitting.
At the Baltimore Harbor this weekend, work will continue to have a single lane of travel in each direction on Interstate 895 through the Harbor Tunnel. There is continuing bridge rehabilitation on I-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Thruway between the tunnels and Boston Street/O’Donnell Street (Exit 11) and the Holabird Avenue exit (MDTA Project). Motorists can expect closures during off-peak travel times into summer.
Metro
This is officially the last weekend for the ongoing platform project on the Blue Line. There will be no Blue Line services with the Arlington Cemetery (Blue Line) and Addison Road (Blue and Silver) stations closed through Saturday. And due to Potomac Yard construction, Blue Line trains will single track Sunday between Braddock Road and National Airport. Yellow Line trains will single track between Braddock Road and National Airport all weekend.
Metro will operate during its normal weekend hours from 7 a.m. through 11 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Sunday.
Weekend service summary:
Red Line: Trains every 12 to18 minutes.
- After 10 p.m., single tracking between Dupont Circle and Van Ness.
Blue Line: No service Saturday:
- 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 and from Virginia and D.C. via Yellow Line may transfer at King Street-Old Town, Braddock Road or National Airport.
Saturday:
- Trains operate every 24 minutes between Franconia-Springfield and Largo.
- Single tracking between Braddock Road and National Airport due to Potomac Yard construction.
Orange Line: Trains 15 to 20 minutes.
Silver Line: trains every 15 to 20 minutes, Saturday:
- Addison Road station closed.
- Free shuttles between Capitol Heights and Addison Road.
- Sunday trains every 15 to 20 minutes serving all stations.
Yellow Line: trains every 24 minutes, Saturday:
- In two segments, between Huntington and Fort Totten and Franconia-Springfield and Mt. Vernon Square
- Single tracking between Braddock Road and National Airport.
Sunday:
- Trains every 24 minutes operating between Huntington and Mt. Vernon Square only
- Single tracking between Braddock Road and National Airport due to Potomac Yard construction.
Green Line: Trains 15 to 20 minutes.
For your safety and the safety of others, customers are required to wear cloth face coverings or masks while traveling on Metro.
