The impacts of Elsa to the D.C. region could see abrupt changes to any scheduled road work, but, as it stands, the Interstate 66 Transformation Project has been back in full-swing this week and scheduled through the weekend.
The same holds true in the District with the I-395 Sign Project and 295 Corridor work, weather permitting.
A look at some progress for Maryland’s Purple Line work and Metro maintenance brings single tracking.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re traveling in the D.C. region this weekend.
Roadwork
Virginia
After the long holiday weekend and road work reprieve, the work on the I-66 Transforms Outside the Beltway Project resumed this week with continuing overnight lane and ramp closures. That will be the case heading into this weekend as well.
There will be the chance for rain each night, be sure to stay tuned for any abrupt weather changes that could occur, as all work is weather dependent.
At the Beltway, the continuing bridge work resumed this week too. Crews here have been working overnight with lane and ramp closures at the interchange between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. This work is being scheduled into Saturday morning.
Motorists can expect I-66 westbound on the approach to the I-495 Beltway to have lanes reduced to a single lane of travel, with periodic stops of up to 20 minutes at a time.
Due to this work, the ramps from I-495 Beltway Inner Loop to I-66 are closed and detoured to Route 7 to make a U-turn. The I-495 Express Lane ramps are also closed during this time from both the Inner Loop to both directions of I-66, and from southbound to go westbound.
On I-66 westbound, Friday night between Nutley Street and Route 123, the plan is to close two lanes to implement a traffic shift between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Saturday morning. Due to the placement of this work, the ramps from I-66 West to Route 123 will be closed and detoured.
There is work planned in the reverse direction on I-66 for Saturday night as well.
At eastbound I-66 between Route 123 and Nutley Street, crews will be implementing a traffic shift between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. Sunday morning, for which they will need to close three lanes. Due to the placement of this work, ramps to and from Route 123 and I-66 will be closed and detoured.
Continuing farther west on I-66, there continues to be nightly work for a bridge demolition at the US-50 interchange in Fairfax. All westbound traffic is being diverted off the interstate to Route 50 West toward West Ox Road to make a U-turn back to I-66 West.
This work is being scheduled nightly between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. continuing into Sunday morning. With this bridge demolition work, the ramps to and from I-66 will be closed and detoured.
Farther west on I-66, in both directions between US-29 Centreville and Route 234 Prince William Parkway, there is barrier work planned Friday night between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. Saturday morning. Here, crews plan to close two lanes each way.
This work has been impacting ramps nightly and will continue to have a few closures and detours as well. These include:
- The ramps from US-29 Centreville to I-66, closed and detoured
- The ramp from I-66 West to US-29 Centreville closed and detoured
The ramp from US-29 to I-66 East in Centreville will be closed throughout the weekend. This paving closure begins Friday at 10 a.m. and will continue through 4 a.m. Monday morning. The northbound traffic will be directed farther north to Route 28 North to follow signs to I-66 East.
Southbound traffic is directed farther south to Stone Road to make a U-turn at the traffic signal on to Route 29 North, to Route 28 North, to I-66 East.
When this ramp from US-29 North and South to I-66 East reopens Monday morning, the temporary detour of the ramp from southbound Route 29 to I-66 East will end. This ramp has been closed since mid-May to allow for construction to widen and realign the ramp as part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project.
In Gainesville, the work on the bridge at University Boulevard over I-66 has been continuing nightly and that will be the case into Saturday morning, 5 a.m. This work impacts both directions of I-66 just to the east of US-29 Gainesville where nightly work begins at 8 p.m. closing three lanes of travel each way.
There are other locations of the I-66 Transformation Project that have been impacting various ramps and interchanges overnight and that will continue into this weekend, weather permitting.
The ramp from Route 28 South to I-66 East has been closed and detoured between midnight and 4 a.m. Also, Stringfellow Road at I-66 is reduced to a single lane. And work continues nightly on Route 286 Fairfax County Parkway at the I-66 interchange through this weekend.
The bridge work here leaves only a single lane open for travel overnights with periodic stops of up to 20 minutes at a time.
Just a reminder, all work is weather dependent and subject to change. Please, stay tuned to WTOP and traffic on the 8s for latest. To be part of the process, call the Traffic Center 24/7 with information on changes at 866-304-WTOP.
DC
The District Department of Transportation has resumed their corridor and sign work after the long holiday weekend as well.
The I-395 Sign Improvement Project kicked off again during the overnight hours and is being scheduled to continue into Saturday morning. Motorists will continue to see lane and ramp closures as crews will continue this work, weather permitting.
There have been full ramp closures and detours for the ramps from D Street, 7th Street and the 9th Street Expressways to I-395 North/I-695 East.
This week saw the off-peak lane closures resume on I-295 between Laboratory Road (Exit 1) and I-695/Southeast Freeway/11th Street Bridge. This work is being scheduled through Monday, weather permitting.
Motorists should be advised the Suitland Parkway, Firth Sterling and South Capitol lane and ramp closures as part of the I-295 bridge over the Suitland Parkway are also scheduled to continue. This work is all part of the ongoing Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge Project.
With this project, the following full ramp closures will also occur during off-peak hours:
- Exit 4 from I-295 Northbound (South Capitol Street / Suitland Parkway)
- Exit 4 from I-295 Southbound (South Capitol Street / Suitland Parkway)
- I-295 Northbound On-ramp from northbound Firth Sterling Avenue SE
- The ramp from South Capitol Street / MLK Jr. Avenue to I-295 Northbound (continuously)
For this weekend, westbound Howard Road, SE, will be closed between the WMATA parking garage and South Capitol Street through Monday morning. Access to the WMATA parking garage will be continuously maintained from Howard Road with a detour in place.
There will be a closure and detour in place for westbound Suitland Parkway at Firth Sterling for the weekend too. There will be times during the overnights where crews will need to close both sides of the Parkway, weather permitting and there will be detours posted if this happens.
Maryland
The work on Purple Line Construction has resumed and many projects might see a few changes by the end of this month.
A few projects to note: The utility relocations continue to close lanes and sidewalks along Wayne Avenue between Fenton Street and the Sligo Creek Parkway, which include Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 5 a.m. This work began in March and is looking for completion by month’s end.
On Georgia Avenue between Wayne Avenue and Bonifant Street, an emergency lane closure is slated to for completion at the end of July.
On Bonifant Street, the water line relocation project has closed this roadway since last December. The closure between Georgia Avenue and Fenton Street could be lifted by the end of August.
There will continue to be work closing Bonifant Street between Georgia Avenue and Ramsey Avenue during off-peak times. Also looking for completion by August, the long-term lane closures on University Boulevard between Riggs Road and Guilford Road, which takes place during off peak hours as well.
On Piney Branch Road (MD 320) between Barron Street and University Boulevard (MD 193) through the end of July, crews hope to finish the ongoing utility work, which takes place from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Here, temporary lane closures have been occurring, with at least one lane in each direction open to traffic and access to the shopping center maintained.
There have been lane closures reoccurring due to underground utility work on Kenilworth Avenue (MD 201) between Riverdale Road (MD 410) to Rittenhouse Street too, which was extended through the end of July.
This work has been taking place between 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. with temporary lane closures controlled by flaggers.
In Prince George’s County, work continues nightly on the Capital Beltway I-95/I-495 with the bridge replacement projects ongoing in both directions there continues to be lanes closed nightly, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., and Saturday 6 p.m. to 11 a.m., anywhere between the Allentown Road/Joint Base Andrews exit and MD-4/Pennsylvania Avenue.
And be advised, for travelers through Baltimore, the ongoing rehabilitation work on I-895 Harbor Tunnel Thruway continues between the tunnels and Holabird Avenue with lane closures during off-peak travel times.
Metro
Through this weekend, Metro will operate on its normal weekend service schedule, which is Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.
The trains will serve 87 of 91 stations providing normal service on the Red with service adjustments for the Blue, Orange, Silver, Green and Yellow lines.
Due to scheduled maintenance, there will be single tracking on the Blue and Orange Lines between Eastern Market and Stadium Armory and, of course, the summer shutdown on the Green and Yellow Lines for the Platform Improvement Project.
This work continues to close the West Hyattsville, Prince George’s Plaza, College Park-U of Md. and the Greenbelt stations. There continues to be free shuttle service and you can check out the shuttle schedules and alternative travel options, parking and bus relocations online.
Weekend service summary:
- Red: Normal weekend service.
- Blue and Orange Line: Single tracking between Stadium-Armory and Addison Rd.
- Silver Line: trains operate between Wiehle-Reston and Eastern Market only
- Riders traveling between Eastern Market and Largo should transfer to the Blue Line to continue
- Yellow Line: Due to the summer Platform Improvement Project
- Trains operate between Huntington and Mt. Vernon Sq only
- Travelers to stations north of Mt. Vernon Sq should transfer to the Green Line
- Single tracking between National Airport and Braddock Rd. (trains every 24 minutes)
- Green Line:
- Due to the summer Platform Improvement Project:
- Trains operate between Branch Ave and Ft Totten only
- West Hyattsville, Prince George’s Plaza, College Park-U of Md, and Greenbelt stations closed
- Free shuttle buses replace trains as follows:
- Limited stop service between Greenbelt, College Park- U of Md & Fort Totten
- Limited stop service between Prince George’s Plaza, West Hyattsville & Fort Totten
- Local service between Greenbelt, College Park- U of Md Prince George’s Plaza & West Hyattsville
