In a dry run for the major 24/7 shutdown that begins in just three weeks, Metro is closing all six Blue and Yellow Line stations south of Reagan National Airport this Saturday and Sunday.
The closures coincide with major roadwork on Interstate 395, ongoing construction on the Arlington Memorial Bridge, and other significant spring and summer construction projects.
There are also typical closures around the region for weekend events, and extra crowds expected in some spots for events like the Kingman Island Bluegrass & Folk Festival, and the Around the World Embassy Tour that usually slows traffic along Massachusetts Avenue, NW.
The Franconia-Springfield, Van Dorn Street, Huntington, Eisenhower Avenue, King Street-Old Town and Braddock Road stations are all closed on Saturday and Sunday.
The closures provide setup and preparation time for the monthslong shutdown of the stations from Memorial Day weekend through Sept. 8, and provide an opportunity for Metro and other regional agencies to test part of the long-term shuttle bus plans.
This weekend, “Blue Line Shuttles” will stop at Franconia-Springfield, Van Dorn Street, King Street-Old Town and Reagan National Airport.
“Blue Line Shuttles” will not stop at Braddock Rd.
“Yellow Line Shuttles” will stop at Huntington, Eisenhower Ave., King St.-Old Town, Braddock Rd. and Crystal City.
“Yellow Line Shuttles” will not stop at Reagan National Airport.
Metro recommends factoring in 15 minutes of additional time for each station stop traveled.
During the summer shutdown, there are also express shuttles planned between the Pentagon and Franconia Springfield/Huntington at all times the Metro system is typically open. Metro also recently added plans for a weekday-only express shuttle between Landmark Mall and Pentagon.
Outside the shutdown zone this weekend, Blue Line trains are scheduled to run normally between Reagan National Airport and Largo Town Center. Yellow Line trains are scheduled to run between Reagan National Airport and Mt. Vernon Square for much of Saturday, with trains running to Fort Totten on Sunday.
Red Line trains are single-tracking on Saturday and Sunday between Medical Center and Grosvenor-Strathmore with trains every 18 minutes. Additional trains are scheduled between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. between Silver Spring and Friendship Heights.
There is no work scheduled on the Orange, Silver or Green lines.
Airport access
During this weekend’s shutdown, and for the entire summer, Metro remains an option to access Reagan National Airport from Crystal City, Pentagon City, Pentagon, Rosslyn and points in the District and Maryland.
From the south, the shuttle buses are the only transit option to and from the airport, even with major ongoing construction on the roads there.
As noted above, the shuttles to the airport will not stop at Braddock Road, so riders who would normally get on there should either go to King Street-Old Town to catch a shuttle or to a station farther north to take the train back to the airport.
If traffic backups or shuttle bus waits are an issue at the airport, taking the train north to Crystal City or Pentagon City may make it easier for friends or family to pick up people flying in.
