WASHINGTON – Getting around the Washington area should be easier this weekend on the roads and rails with fewer works zones and events compared with weekends past. Travel weather may be dicey late Saturday with showers and thunderstorms possible to impact most area roadways late in the day. Seasonal temperatures will be ideal for the festivals, games, and races on tap, most of which are not expected to cause significant delays.
Last weekend, drivers headed home from the Delmarva beaches and encountered several miles of bumper-to-bumper traffic on Route 50 and Route 404. This weekend promises to deliver more of the same with SunFest in Ocean City expected to lure big crowds out to the coast. Summer comes to an end on Sunday afternoon. Drivers Bay Bridge bound will likely encounter delays around the time of the autumnal equinox.
Maryland
Last weekend the combination of the Anne Arundel County Fair and Maryland Renaissance Festival caused long traffic jams on Route 178 and I-97 near Crownsville. Getting to the fifth weekend of jousting and juggling just off Route 178 should be easier this go-around, but travelers should expect some delay, especially during the late morning, the most popular arrival time.
Howard County officials are expecting traffic congestion to result from Virgin Mobile FreeFest at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Saturday. Broken Land Parkway between Little Patuxent Parkway and Town Center Avenue will be closed by 10 a.m. Delays often form on Route 29 between the Broken Land Parkway and Little Patuxent Parkway exits before concerts with large turnouts.
The Annapolis Craft Beer and Music Festival opens to the public at noon on Saturday at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium. Localized delays are possible near downtown areas throughout the afternoon.
In Kensington, the 20th Annual Kensington 8K Race will take place between 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. on Saturday. A few streets including Beach Drive, Kensington Parkway and Bexhill Drive, will be closed.
Virginia
Saturday morning drivers in Reston may encounter cones and short detours for the 6th Annual Susco 8K run. The race, in Memory of Timothy Susco, promotes brain aneurysm and organ donation awareness. Traffic on Soapstone Drive, South Lakes Drive and Glade Drive may be affected. More information here.
A special event in Independent Hill, Va., will take place on Sunday at 8 a.m. to honor Officer Chris Yung of the Prince William County Police Department. Officer Yung was killed in a motorcycle crash at the intersection of Route 28 and Piper Lane while on duty in late December last year.
A motorcade will lead the 5K race in memory of Officer Yung through Woodbridge and Bristow on Route 234/Dumfries Road and Route 619/Bristow Road starting at 8 a.m.
Last weekend VDOT began extended construction closures of the I-95/I-395 HOV Highway. The HOV lanes will be closed again this weekend until Sunday afternoon. More details on these closures can be found in last week’s Weekend Wakeup Call.
District of Columbia
The Run ‘n Mate race will take place in Southwest Washington along Ohio Drive in Potomac Park on Saturday at 8 a.m. The parking lots along the river south of the Tidal Basin will be blocked through the morning.
The H Street Festival will be held in Northeast from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday. The festival includes music, crafts, international cuisine and more. About 10 blocks of H Street NE will be closed to traffic for the celebration. Police will be on the scene directing traffic between 4th Street NE and 14th Street NE.
The Fiesta D.C. Festival and Parade will close a few downtown streets on Sunday. The festival will be all-day affair on Pennsylvania Avenue, which will be closed between 9th Street NW and 14th Street NW. The Fiesta Day Parade steps off onto Constitution Avenue during the late morning. Constitution Avenue and many of the numbered streets that cross the National Mall will be blocked from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Nationals will host the Florida Marlins in their last two home games of the regular season at Nationals Park this weekend. Saturday’s game is at 7:05 p.m. and Sunday’s game is at 1:35 p.m. The Navy Yard station should be open. There is no track work scheduled on the Green Line. Expect congestion on the Southeast/Southwest Freeway and South Capitol Street before first pitch as fans take advantage of what will likely be their last chance to see the Nationals play at home this year.
Metro Track Work
Rebuilding work on Metrorail is expected to have a minimal impact on rail travel this weekend. All stations are to remain open. Work zones on the Red and Orange lines will be in place from 10 p.m. Friday until early Monday morning.
The repair work in the Red Line tunnel under Rock Creek Park continues this weekend. Trains will run every 24 minutes with faster service between Dupont Circle and Fort Totten during daytime hours.
Orange Line trains will operate every 24 minutes through the weekend due to track maintenance at Deanwood and Minnesota Ave stations
Metro advises looking at the trip planner to check the special schedules before traveling.
There is no scheduled work on the Blue, Yellow and Green lines.
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