WASHINGTON – Metro’s spring break is over. Track work will affect travel on all five rail lines this weekend following a four-week reprieve from single-tracking and off-peak delays.
Metro Forward, the $5.5-billion project that aims to restore the aging infrastructure of the rail system, will resume with work beginning at 10 p.m. on Friday on the Red Line downtown, on the Orange Line in Rosslyn, on the Blue and Yellow lines near Pentagon City and near the northern end of the Green Line in Greenbelt.
All of the work zones will be in place through system-closing on Sunday night.
Red Line
- Free shuttle buses will replace Red Line trains between Gallery Place and Union Station.
- Judiciary Square Station will be closed.
- Customers using shuttle bus service should allow 10 to 15 minutes of additional travel time.
Orange Line
- Free shuttle buses will replace Orange Line trains between Virginia Square and Rosslyn.
- The Courthouse and Clarendon stations will be closed.
- Customers using shuttle bus service should add 15 minutes to their travel time.
- Minor delays are possible outside the work zone.
Blue/Yellow Line
- Trains will single track between Braddock Road and Pentagon City.
- Trains will operate every 30 minutes.
- Longer wait for trains leaving Reagan National Airport and Crystal City stations.
Green Line
- Trains will single track between Greenbelt and College Park.
- Delays of up to 15 minutes possible for riders to or from Greenbelt Station.
- Trains will operate at regular weekend intervals between College Park and Branch Avenue.
Douglass Bridge Maintenance
Overnight closure of The Frederick Douglass Bridge, also known as the South Capitol Street Bridge, will take place Sunday morning from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m.
This closure is for routine testing.
George Washington Parkway Classic 10 Miler and 5K
Runners will overtake the George Washington Memorial Parkway Sunday between Mount Vernon and Old Town Alexandria this weekend for the George Washington Parkway Classic. The 10-Miler will begin near Mount Vernon Estate and end in Old Town at Oronoco Bay Park.
The last mile of the race is dedicated to Officer Peter Laboy who was seriously injured after being shot during a traffic stop on Wilkes Street in late February.
The George Washington Parkway will be closed to accommodate the runners between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. Segments of the parkway will reopen from south to north as the runners make headway into Old Town.
Follow police direction on the routes near the George Washington Parkway including Collingwood Road, Morningside Lane, Belle View Boulevard, and Belle Haven Road. In Alexandria, the streets that intersect Washington Street closer to the finish line will likely be the last the reopen.
Learn more about the increased security for the race here.
IMF World Bank Meetings
The Cherry Blossoms crowds have eased but the IMF World Bank Meetings this weekend are sure to cause random and unpredictable delays throughout the city. Various streets will be blocked near the World Bank complex downtown.
Limousines and short motorcades will be in constant flux throughout the city, shuttling dignitaries to and from embassies and hotels. As is the case with any police detail, traffic on any of the streets or freeways in and toward Washington will occasionally be stopped as the motorcades pass by. In some cases, roads near, but not on, a motorcade route will be stopped. Therefore it will be possible to experience a delay related to the passage of a motorcade without being in sight of any police activity.
The following streets will be closed through 7 p.m. on Sunday:
- 19th Street NW closed from G Street to Pennsylvania Avenue NW
- H Street NW closed from 18th Street to 20th Street NW
The following streets will experience temporary closures through 7 p.m. on Sunday:
- 18th Street NW between G Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW
- 20th Street NW between G Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW
- G Street NW from 18th Street to 20th Street NW
Bay Bridge Safety Enhancements
Following a safety study completed in 2012, crews will be improving pavement markings on the westbound span on the Bay Bridge (Route 50/301) this weekend.
Work crews will remove and replace the rumble strips and pavement markings and add new signs on the westbound Bay Bridge to enhance safety measures during “two-way” traffic operations.
The work is scheduled to close the westbound span on Friday and Saturday from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. the following morning and on Sunday from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following morning. The eastbound span will operate with two-way traffic.
The WTOP Weather Center calls for the potential of strong thunderstorms with high winds Friday night and early Saturday morning which may cause to work to be delayed or postponed. Motorists who plan to travel across the Bay Bridge on Friday night should be prepared for wind warnings or restrictions and follow overhead lane control signals.
Follow @WTOP on Twitter.
