Amanda Iacone and Dave Dildine, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – Drivers coming into D.C. and Arlington should be prepared for widespread road closures as the Marine Corp Marathon gets underway Sunday.
The AIDS Walk and Howard University Homecoming Parade will also foil drivers. Metro riders will have a smoother ride with four of the five lines operating regular service.
Marine Corps Marathon
Sunday, 30,000 runners are expected to participate in the 26.2-mile race, which starts at 7:55 a.m. in Arlington. The long course, which will cross the Potomac into the District, will affect Metrorail, Metrobus and car traffic.
The race will close major arteries including parts of Pennsylvania, Constitution and Independence avenues along with the Key and Memorial bridges. The George Washington and Rock Creek parkways will also be closed due to the marathon.
Drivers in Georgetown will be impacted by the marathon as several major routes will be blocked including Foxhall Road, Canal Road and M Street. There are numerous road closures in Rosslyn and near the Pentagon including Route 110 and Washington Boulevard.
Some roads in Arlington will close as early as 4 a.m. Roads will close in the District at 6:50 a.m. All roads are expected to reopen by 1:30 p.m. A list of road closures in both Arlington and D.C. is posted on the Marine Corps Marathon’s website.
Metro will open early for the race at 5 a.m. Sunday.
Race participants should use the Pentagon Station on the Blue and Yellow lines to reach the start line. The Arlington Cemetery Station will be closed until 8:30 a.m. after the race has started. Runners should use the Arlington station to leave the event or to access the finish line.
Additional Blue Line trains will run between Franconia-Springfield and Stadium- Armory from 5 to 8:15 a.m. and again between 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
The race will also limit bus access. The Pentagon Bus Terminal will be closed from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. To access Metrobus, riders should use the Pentagon City Station. And the Rosslyn Bus Terminal will also be closed from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. Riders can access Metrobus at Oak Street instead.
You can see a map of the race route here.
AIDS Walk
The AIDS Walk Washington, a 5K race, will stage on Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 13th and 14th Streets, which will close beginning 7 p.m. Friday and remain closed until 2 p.m. Saturday.
The race begins at 8:30 a.m. and will close the following roads:
- Route will begin and end at 12th Street, NW and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
- East on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW towards 3rd Street, NW
- South on 3rd Street, NW to D Street, SW
- West on D Street, SW to 4th Street, SW
- North on 4th Street, SW to Independence Avenue, SW
- West on Independence Avenue, SW to 7th Street, SW (turn around)
- East on Independence Avenue, SW to 3rd Street, SW
- North on 3rd Street, SW to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
- West on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW to the finish line
Howard University Homecoming Parade
Howard University is set to celebrate Homecoming with its annual parade Saturday. Staging begins at 7 a.m., at the Johnson Administration Building, 2400 6th Street NW, on campus. The parade begins at 10 a.m. and roads are expected to reopen after 12:30 p.m.
Roads that will be closed during the parade are:
- North on 6th Street, NW to Fairmont Street, NW
- West on Fairmont Street, NW to Georgia Avenue, NW
- South on Georgia Avenue, NW to Florida Avenue, NW
- Southeast on Florida Avenue, NW to 5th Street, NW
- North on 5th Street, NW to T Street, NW
- East on T Street, NW to Anna Cooper Circle, NW
- Southeast around the circle to 3rd Street, NW
- North on 3rd Street, NW to Elm Street, NW
- East on Elm Street, NW to 2nd Street, NW
- North on 2nd Street, NW to Bryant Street, NW
- West on Bryant Street, NW to 4th Street, NW
- North on 4th Street, NW to the Valley (between College Street, NW and Howard Place, NW where parade will disband)
Metro
Track work along the Orange line will reduce service to Landover and New Carrollton between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday. Every other train will run between Vienna and Cheverly. Riders travelling to or from Landover and New Carrollton should add about 12 minutes to their travel time
Sunday, trains will run every 16 minutes between Vienna and New Carrollton.
The other four lines will run on a regular weekend schedule. The Metro system will open early Sunday for the Marine Corps Marathon.
U.S. Route 29 Bridge Replacement
A portion of U.S. Route 29 in Gainesville will be closed this weekend to replace a bridge over North Fork Broad Run. The road will be closed just south of Linton Hall Road/Route 619 near Webb Drive.
Drivers will be detoured along Route 15, Heathcote Boulevard and Route 55. The road will close beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and remain closed through 5 a.m. Monday as the existing bridge is removed and a new one installed.
Loudoun County events
Several events in Loudoun County will close roads or reduce travel lanes. Drivers are asked to be patient and to follow the direction of law enforcement at these activities:
- 5K road race at Broad Run High School from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday. The race will travel along Ashburn Road, Farmwell Road and Hemingway Drive.
- 5K road race from 8 to 11 a.m. Sunday along Broadlands Boulevard, Claiborne Parkway, Waxpool Road, Chickacoan Trail Drive, Vestals Gap Drive and Glebe View Drive. One lane will be closed on each road during the race.
- Expect delays along U.S. Route 15 near Oatlands Plantation from 6:30 to 10 a.m. and 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
- Expect delays due to the Homecoming Parade at Briar Woods High School beginning about 5 p.m. Friday.
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