WASHINGTON — Metro’s next 24/7 work zone shuts down the Branch Avenue and Suitland stations on the Green Line for two weeks starting Aug. 5.
Naylor Road Station will also be closed for two of the three weekends during the work.
The work
Crews are scheduled to focus on rebuilding a crossover where trains move from one track to another, similar to the dilapidated one where a train derailed last summer near East Falls Church.
As with previous surges, crews will replace rail ties along much of the closed stretch as part of broader efforts to bring the track into a better state of repair.
Branch Avenue and Suitland stations will be closed beginning Saturday, Aug. 5, through the end of the day Sunday, Aug. 20.
Naylor Road Station will be closed the weekends of Aug. 12 to Aug. 13 and Aug. 19 to Aug. 20.
Other Green Line stations are scheduled to have normal service during the work, with trains scheduled every eight minutes at rush hour.
The workarounds
Metro riders who typically drive to those stations can consider parking at Southern Avenue (Green Line), Huntington (Yellow Line), and Addison Road or Largo Town Center (Blue/Silver Lines). The Naylor Road and Morgan Boulevard lots tend to have fewer open parking spaces.
Metro encourages riders to consider using the Oxon Hill Park and Ride lot near National Harbor, which is served by several bus routes including the NH2 between Huntington, King Street and National Harbor, and the NH1 between National Harbor and Southern Avenue.
Metro will run shuttle buses to connect the closed stations as well.
On weekdays and the weekend of Aug. 5, an express shuttle is scheduled to run between Branch Avenue and Naylor Road. Another group of buses will stop at the Branch Avenue, Suitland and Naylor Road stations. Metro estimates the express shuttle bus should take 16 minutes, depending on traffic.
On the weekends of Aug. 12 and Aug. 19 when the Naylor Road station is closed, the express shuttle bus will run between Branch Avenue and Southern Avenue, with the local shuttles stopping at Southern Avenue, Naylor Road, Suitland and Branch Avenue.
Additional options include regular bus routes in the area such as the 30N, 34 and 36 routes from Naylor Road that arrive at Potomac Avenue and Eastern Market in 15 to 30 minutes.
Weekday riders from Southern Maryland should consider Maryland Transit Administration commuter bus routes into downtown D.C.
The MTA routes run from California, Charlotte Hall, La Plata, and Waldorf in Charles and St. Mary’s counties; North Beach, Prince Frederick and St. Leonard in Calvert County; and Accokeek in Prince George’s County.
What’s next
Metro plans to continue major weekend shutdowns for the foreseeable future.
For now, the next 24/7 work zone set to impact rush hour service is scheduled to be on the Red Line from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10.
The work, which recent Federal Transit Administration inspection reports suggested is also sorely needed, will close Takoma Station for 16 days right after Thanksgiving.
