WASHINGTON — Clearing skies and light, post-holiday traffic volume bodes well for Redskins fans who will be driving to FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland for this afternoon’s wildcard playoff game. Still, the Maryland State Highway Administration says travelers should prepare for delays before and especially after the event.
“We’re expecting a lot of traffic,” says Charlie Gischlar, a Maryland State Highway Administration spokesman. The agency, he says, is taking steps to reduce the expected delays near Landover before and after the game.
“A big thing we’re going to do is suspend all non-emergency roadwork in that vicinity from at least 10 a.m. up until past midnight,” Gischlar says. “We won’t have any active lane closures in that Largo-Landover area.”
There will also be extra highway help trucks with the Coordinated Highways Action Response Team standing by on Sunday afternoon in case of crashes or other mishaps.
“We’re also going to be adjusting the traffic signal timing. Inbound routes, they’re going to get a lot of the favorable green,” Gischlar says.
The tailgate commute got off to a rocky start in Montgomery County, Maryland. A fast-moving band of heavy showers moved through mid-morning Sunday, causing slippery conditions. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue units responded to nearly a dozen spinouts on the Capital Beltway.
A serious crash occurred around 10:30 a.m. on the Inner Loop, between Connecticut and Georgia avenues. A spokesman for Montgomery County Fire said two children were pulled from an overturned car. Both were taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Only one left lane was getting by the crash for about two hours. All lanes reopened shortly after noon.
Metro says they have suspended all scheduled track work on the Orange, Blue and Silver Lines through the afternoon and evening hours.
Delays are likely on the Beltway late Sunday evening after the game ends. The Outer Loop could be congested between Landover and Silver Spring, Maryland. Delays for drivers on the Inner Loop are possible from Forestville, Maryland toward the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
