WASHINGTON — Airport officials advise travelers and those picking up friends and family members at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, to give themselves extra time through Monday due to the closure of metro stations in the area.
Both the Crystal City and Reagan National Airport stations are closed through Monday due to track work, but officials said Saturday that traffic in the area is back to normal, and they expect the rest of the weekend to be relatively calm compared to Friday’s chaos.
To be on the safe side, however, officials are advising travelers to leave for the airport between two and three hours ahead of their flight.
Airport officials are asking travelers and those picking them up or dropping them off to consider accessing the terminal through the parking garages, which offer free entry for the first hour.
Some commuters are concerned that the gridlock will come back again in about 10 days as travelers head to the airport once again for the Thanksgiving holiday. However, airport officials are confident they will not see a repeat of Friday’s volume, due to Metro reopening the stations on Tuesday and construction on the ticketing level of the airport ending in the next few days.
Many travelers were caught by surprise on Friday afternoon, when heavy rain and an early rush-hour due to the Veterans Day weekend locked up the roads and bridges close to the airport. As traffic inched along the George Washington Parkway, some travelers jumped out of their cars and carried their luggage across crowded roadways in an effort to make their flights.
WTOP Traffic Reporter Bob Marbourg said the heavy traffic around the airport was among the worst he has seen. Due to the crunch, the airport authority brought in extra traffic control officer to keep things moving.
The airport Metrorail station remains closed through Monday for @wmata track work. Passenger volumes are normal today. Use navigation apps for best routing to your airport destination. Consider Terminal Garages for drop-off/pickup and park free for up to 60 minutes. pic.twitter.com/RuJZgNXIMW
— Reagan Airport (@Reagan_Airport) November 10, 2018
