Work is continuing all around our region during the summer, with thunderstorms in the forecast, too.
Metro is doing work on all lines this weekend. And, weather permitting, here is a look at what’s planned for Virginia, the District and Maryland:
Roadwork
Virginia
There are some changes in the forecast for the Transform I-66 Outside the Beltway project. Not only is work continuing with a bridge demolition in Fairfax and Centreville, but crews will also be working to implement yet another shift beginning next week. We’ll look at what to watch for this weekend, but always remember, things are fluid, so be sure to stay tuned to traffic on the 8s for the latest.
The overnight bridge demolition at the Route 50/I-66 interchange has been happening this week and is slated to continue into the weekend. This work has called for full closures of I-66 heading westbound with diversions on Route 50 and ramps closing in all directions at the interchange. This overnight work, which is being scheduled into Sunday morning, is a continued demolition of the Route 50 East bridge over I-66. The westbound bridge demolition was completed last week.
On Friday night and early Saturday morning, the work pattern will be different than that of the rest of the weekend. From about 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., there will be two-way travel on the interstate essentially to and passing Route 50 in both directions. This work will be controlled by flaggers with police on site for traffic control.
Throughout the weekend, to perform the eastbound Route 50 bridge demolition work, crews need to block all lanes and will divert westbound traffic on I-66 to Route 50. The traffic diverts to westbound Route 50 toward Route 608/West Ox Road for a U-turn return. This will continue nightly between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Also for the weekend, all lanes are scheduled to reopen by 6 a.m. The ramps from Route 50 West to I-66 West will be closed and detoured.
Also during this time, the eastbound lanes of I-66 approaching Route 50 will be reduced to two lanes until reopening on Monday by 4 a.m.
Also scheduled again through this weekend is the work in Centreville on Route 29 under I-66, with lane reductions and flaggers for bridge beam installation as part of the Transform 66 project. This work, which has been happening nightly between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m., is scheduled to continue through Monday morning, with some changes left in place for the entire weekend.
During Friday and Saturday nights, Route 29 will again be reduced to a single lane of travel, alternating directions with traffic controlled by flaggers. During this time, there are no turns allowed, so be sure to plan accordingly. This weekend, a few configurations and times from this week’s work will be slightly different. Here’s what to expect on Route 29 at I-66 this weekend:
- Work begins 9 p.m. Friday through 4 a.m. Monday.
- Route 29 will be reduced to a single travel lane in each direction.
- Two-way traffic will run in the northbound lanes of Route 29 under I-66 from 9 p.m. Friday through around 6 p.m. Saturday.
- Two-way traffic will run in the southbound lanes of Route 29 under I-66 from around 6 p.m. Saturday through 4 a.m. Monday.
- Flaggers will alternate traffic on one lane of Route 29 in the overnight hours of Friday and Saturday from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.
- There will be periodic stoppages of up to 20 minutes on weekend overnights.
- All lanes are scheduled to reopen by 4 a.m. Monday.
This work will also dictate the ramps traveling at this interchange and motorists will see that continue into the weekend, with the ramps to and from I-66 and Route 29 closed and detoured. Continuous lane reductions are expected through this weekend, weather permitting, so be prepared for varying message boards and travel directions daily.
These are only a few of the changes and work zones that will take place this weekend. The I-66 project is broad and ever-changing. There is also work planned overnight with ramp closures at I-66 interchanges at the I-495 Beltway Express Lanes, Nutley Street, Route 123/Chain Bridge Road and Route 50. Plus, stay tuned to learn about all of the other work locations that may pop up for the weekend.
As always, all work is weather dependent and subject to change, so stay tuned to WTOP Traffic on the 8s for the latest. And be sure to call the 24/7 Traffic Center at 866-304-WTOP to help with changes, variations and be part of the team.
DC
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has a new closure scheduled to begin Friday and continue into next week for the ramp from northbound Kenilworth Avenue at Polk Street Northeast to northbound DC-295, weather permitting.
Traffic here will be detoured to the next exit north of Eastern Avenue to access northbound DC-295, controlled by a message board stationed north of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue. The message will advise traffic of the option to use the prior exit ramp off northbound Kenilworth Avenue at Lane Place to northbound DC-295.
Also this weekend, DDOT is planning the following:
- Lane closures on I-295 northbound between Nannie Helen Avenue NE and Benning Road Northeast from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday.
- Lanes closure on I-295 northbound between Nannie Helen Avenue NE and Benning Road Northeast from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Off-peak lane closures continue along I-295 between Laboratory Road (Exit 1) and I-695/Southeast Freeway/11th Street Bridge. This work is scheduled through Monday, weather permitting.
The lane and ramp closures along the Suitland Parkway, Firth Sterling Avenue and South Capitol Street, and the I-295 bridge over the Suitland Parkway are continuously being scheduled as part of the ongoing Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge 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 Southeast;
- The ramp from South Capitol Street/MLK Jr. Avenue to I-295 northbound (continuously).
This weekend, there is a full closure and detour planned for eastbound Suitland Parkway between South Capitol Street and Firth Sterling Avenue from Friday night through Monday morning, weather permitting. And, as of Monday continuing through Saturday, single lane closures are scheduled on I-295 northbound between Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue and Benning Road Northeast.
Maryland
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) has released an update with a slight change to the longstanding pipe installation project at the MD-85/Buckeystown Pike ramp to southbound I-270. This work, which continues daily at off-peak times, is planned through the summer months.
Also in Frederick, deck replacement on the MD-28/Dickerson Road bridge over the Monocacy River resumed this week, with flagging taking place daily through the week at off-peak times. A full closure of the bridge is planned for the next three weekends from 10 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday; detours will be posted.
In Baltimore, the high-impact work on the I-895 Harbor Tunnel Throughway will continue with planned travel closures through the summer. Off-peak lane and ramp closures are being implemented between the Harbor Tunnel and Holabird Avenue.
In Anne Arundel County, overnight patching is happening on MD-450 between Route 50 and the Naval Academy Bridge. This work takes place with lane closures and traffic control Sunday through Thursday between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
In Montgomery County, both sides of I-495 Capital Beltway will see intermittent off-peak lane closures between Georgia and Connecticut avenues for the ongoing bridge rehabilitation project. This work does see full stops on Sunday through Thursday nights between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., so be sure to stay tuned.
In Prince George’s County, crews are now resurfacing the Capital Beltway I-95/I-495 between MD-5/Branch Avenue and MD-414/St. Barnabas Road. There will be continuous overnight multiple lane closures, from Sundays through Thursday. In addition, the Beltway between Suitland Road and MD-4/Pennsylvania Avenue continues to have off-peak lane closures for the ongoing bridge rehabilitation project.
And for Purple Line construction, which changes almost daily now, a new project kicks off this weekend in Silver Spring. Crews will be relocating utilities at the intersection of MD-193/University Boulevard MD and Piney Branch Road now through Aug. 9, weather permitting. This work is being scheduled in two shifts, with various lanes closed between 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., Monday through Friday and on weekends, as needed. Be sure to check the link for any completions and project closures.
Metro
This weekend will again see service adjustments to all lines because of scheduled maintenance, track work and construction. Metro will continue to operate on the new extended service schedule, though. On Saturday from 7 a.m. to midnight and on Sunday from 8 a.m. to midnight, trains will service 87 of 91 stations.
The summer shutdown continues on the Green and Yellow Lines for the Platform Improvement Project. This work closes the West Hyattsville, Prince George’s Plaza, College Park-U of Md and the Greenbelt stations. You can check out free shuttle service schedules, alternative travel options, parking and bus relocations here.
On the Red Line through August, trains are continually single tracking between Dupont Circle and Van Ness for the Tunnel Ventilation Pilot Project. And scheduled maintenance on the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines continues this weekend, with single tracking between Eastern Market and Stadium Armory.
Here’s a weekend service summary:
Red Line:
- Single tracking between Van Ness and Dupont Circle.
- Trains every 18 minutes.
Blue and Orange Line:
- Single tracking between Eastern Market and Stadium Armory.
- Trains every 24 minutes.
Silver Line:
- Trains operate between Wiehle-Reston and Federal Center SW only.
- Trains every 24 minutes.
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 Fort Totten only.
- West Hyattsville, Prince George’s Plaza, College Park-U of Md, and Greenbelt stations are closed.
Free shuttle buses replace trains as follows:
- Limited stop service between Greenbelt, College Park-U of Md and Fort Totten.
- Limited stop service between Prince George’s Plaza, West Hyattsville and Fort Totten.
- Local service between Greenbelt, College Park-U of Md Prince George’s Plaza and West Hyattsville.
For your safety and the safety of others, customers are required to wear cloth face coverings or masks while traveling on Metro.
