With the impending weather this weekend, motorists should be prepared for pretreatment crews to be on the move on many roadways throughout the D.C. region. Weather permitting, there is work planned with stops on Interstate 66, an I-95 closure through Baltimore and changes on the 295 Corridor Project, which will close the Suitland Parkway.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re traveling in the D.C. region this weekend.
As always, be sure to stay tuned to WTOP traffic on the 8s for any changes on the fly and be sure to interact with the 24/7 staffed traffic team with updates at 866-304-WTOP.
Roadwork
Virginia
This weekend will see bitter cold temperatures and some precipitation toward the end. This could play a big part as to what will exactly happen, but here are a few of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project locations that would be impactful, weather conditions permitting.
In Fairfax County:
- I-66 East from east of Cedar Lane to Gallows Road
- Friday, Jan. 14: 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
- Saturday, Jan. 15: 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Sunday, Jan. 16: 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- I-66 East will be reduced to a single travel lane for overhead bridge work and bridge demolition.
- All eastbound traffic will be directed into a single lane and diverted behind barrier onto the old eastbound lanes.
- Drivers should expect periodic stoppages Friday and Saturday nights between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- U.S. Route 50 East from I-66 to Waples Mill Road
- Friday, Jan. 14: 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- Two lanes will be closed for ramp work.
- Ramp from I-66 East to Route 50 East
- Friday night, Jan. 14: Midnight to 4 a.m.
- The ramp will be closed. Traffic will be detoured to Route 50 West, exit to Route 608 (West Ox Road) South, then stay to the right to Route 50 East.
- I-66 West at Route 28
- Friday, Jan. 14: 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- Two lanes will be closed for demolition cleanup.
- I-66 West from Route 234 Bypass to Route 29 Gainesville
- Friday, Jan. 14: 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Three lanes will be closed for overhead sign installation.
- Drivers should expect periodic stoppages of up to 20 minutes.
- I-66 East and West between Route 15 and Compton Road
- Friday, Jan. 14: Eastbound 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m./Westbound 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- One lane will be closed for lighting and utility work.
In Prince William County:
- I-66 East and West between Route 15 and Compton Road
- Friday, Jan. 14: Eastbound 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m./Westbound 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- One lane will be closed for lighting and utility work.
- I-66 West from Route 234 Bypass (Prince William Parkway) to Route 29 Gainesville
- Friday, Jan. 7: 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Three lanes will be closed for overhead sign installation. Drivers should expect periodic stoppages of up to 20 minutes during the overnight hours.
- I-66 East and West approaching Manassas Safety Rest Area/east of Route 234 Business
- Saturday, Jan. 8: 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- I-66 East and West will be reduced to one travel lane in each direction east of Route 234 Business for overhead bridge beam installation.
- I-66 West will be closed with two-way traffic running in the I-66 East travel lanes during these hours.
Maryland
In Frederick County, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration continues the ongoing bridge deck replacement on northbound U.S. 15 over Md. 77, with a single lane only expected to be open through the spring of 2023. This work is generally most impactful for weekend travelers.
There is ongoing work in Montgomery County, at a few notable locations, that will continue through this year. The intersection improvement project at Md. 185/Connecticut Avenue and Jones Bridge Road/Kensington Parkway will see lane restrictions, during off-peak times, through the end of this year. Also, resurfacing at Colesville Road between St. Andrews Way and Stewart Lane, on Georgia Avenue between Holiday Drive and Gold Mine Road and on River Road between Wilson Lane and Goldsboro Road.
In Prince George’s County, there’s the U.S. 1 Reconstruction Project, which will continue to see single lane travel between University Boulevard and College Avenue through next summer. Crews will continue resurfacing Md. 5 Branch Avenue between the district line and Curtis Drive during off-peak times, including weekends, through the spring.
There is ongoing work on Md. 210 Indian/Head Highway at Kerby Hill Road/Livingston Road for interchange reconstruction. This work is planned through the summer and motorists will continue to endure off-peak lane restrictions.
In Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, there continues to be the ever-changing work locations associated with Metro’s Purple line work. Be sure to stay up to date on daily changes, check the Purple Line construction website.
Beginning this week, crews will start the underground utility relocations on Piney Branch Road between Arliss Street and Barron Street with lane restrictions planned during off-peak times, weekends included, through the end of March.
One big story for NEXT weekend is from the Maryland Transportation Authority, which has a planned weekend-long closure for a portion of northbound I-95 at the Fort McHenry Tunnel through Baltimore. There is scheduled to be a roadway joint replacement for both lanes just prior to the tunnel entrance to Bore 4, two right lanes, or the right tube.
Beginning at 8:30 p.m. Friday and continuing through 5 a.m. Monday, weather permitting, travelers should stay tuned for traffic impacts. Keep in mind, I-895 and I-695 could be used as alternates.
DC
The District Department of Transportation had a change go into place this week as part of the Douglas Pedestrian Bridge project, to remove and replace the existing bridge over Kenilworth Avenue. This work will have a right lane closed in both directions just south of Eastern Avenue for two weeks.
As per usual on weekends and off-peak times, DDOT crews will continue to work on the I-295/D.C. 295 Corridor Project with lanes and ramp restrictions between Laboratory Road/Naval Research Lab/Exit 1 through the Suitland Parkway. For a full list of locations and times, check the DDOT website.
This weekend, the project has a planned closure of eastbound/outbound Suitland Parkway daily between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. between South Capitol Street and Firth Sterling Avenue. There will be detours posted and motorists should keep in mind that during the Suitland Parkway closure Firth Sterling Avenue and South Capitol Street will remain open. For specific details on this work check online.
Metro
Through Saturday, the Red Line shutdown will be in place between Twinbrook and Shady Grove for the Rockville Canopy Replacement Project with the Rockville and Shady Grove stations closed. After a four-month shutdown, the Red Line stations will resume service with the final stages of the canopy project continuing to be completed.
There will be maintenance this weekend with late night single tracking planned for the Blue, Orange and Silver lines.
Metrorail continues to operate at reduced frequencies with the removal of all 7000-series railcars from service due to the ongoing Blue Line derailment investigation.
Metro will operate during normal weekend hours, 7 a.m. — 1 a.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. — midnight on Sunday, serving 89 of 91 stations through Saturday. Travel with be different on Monday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday, Metro will be open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Weekend service summary:
- Red Line: Shady Grove and Rockville stations closed through Saturday.
- Buses replace trains with free shuttle service between Shady Grove, Rockville and Twinbrook.
- Trains operate between Twinbrook and Glenmont only.
- Blue, Orange Line and Silver Lines: After 10 p.m., trains will be single tracking between Smithsonian and Federal Center SW for cable installation.
- Yellow, Green Lines: no maintenance.
