Drivers headed to or from Washington, D.C. this weekend could get stuck in construction-related traffic jams.
Construction crews will close lanes of Interstate 395 north from the Seminary Road interchange to past Pentagon City/Crystal City (Exit 8C) will close on Friday night at 10 p.m. through Saturday morning.
The ramp from Seminary Road to I-395 North also will close; motorists should follow detour signs. The closures are needed to accommodate the second of four planned weekends of bridge rehabilitation work along the corridor. This effort is part of the 395 Express Lanes Project.
To help ease traffic congestion, the HOV lanes from just north of Edsall Road to the Washington D.C. line will be open, traveling in the northbound direction. Thru-traffic (northbound to DC) is encouraged to use the HOV lanes, while local traffic will need to use the open general purpose lanes, according to a Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman.
Additional closures may occur on the HOV lanes-only for ongoing construction activities after Saturday morning and throughout the remainder of the weekend.
All work is weather dependent and will be rescheduled if inclement weather occurs.
Current plans call for the reversible 95 Express Lanes, from near Edsall Road to past Garrisonville Road in Stafford, to operate according to their regular schedule.
The roadwork comes as Metro is also making changes to its service to prepare for a full shutdown of its Blue and Yellow lines this summer.
From Metro:
Metro is reminding customers that this weekend, May 4-5, buses will replace trains on the Blue and Yellow lines south of Reagan National Airport to allow for structural inspections and pre-construction activity associated with this summer’s major platform reconstruction project. Six stations south of the airport will be closed – Braddock Road, King St-Old Town, Eisenhower Ave, Huntington, Van Dorn Street and Franconia-Springfield – with trains replaced by free shuttle buses.
The advance work this weekend is necessary due to the complexity of the project and will allow Metro’s contractor, Kiewit, to begin construction on the first day of the summer shutdown, Saturday, May 25. Crews will perform inspections on the six platform structures, install cable supports, stage heavy equipment and materials, and other pre-construction activity.
To date, Metro’s contractor has reconfigured bus stops and roadways to accommodate shuttle buses, created temporary construction staging areas, and mobilized equipment. Outside the Eisenhower Ave Station, the project team is using platform “mock ups” to help train workers, test construction methods and resolve technical issues prior to work beginning.
Service information
Blue Line:
- Trains will operate regular service levels between National Airport and Largo Town Center only. Shuttle buses will replace Blue Line trains between Reagan National Airport and Franconia-Springfield. Allow additional travel time.
- Franconia-Springfield, Van Dorn Street, King St-Old Town, Braddock Rd, Huntington and Eisenhower Ave stations will be closed.
- Free shuttle bus information:
- Blue Line shuttle buses (provided by DASH) will operate between Franconia-Springfield, Van Dorn Street, King St-Old Town and National Airport.
- No stop at Braddock Road station.
- Customers traveling to/from Braddock Rd must use a Yellow Line shuttle.
Yellow Line:
- Trains will operate regular service levels between Reagan National Airport and Fort Totten only. (Note: On Saturday, trains will begin/end at Mt Vernon Square between 7 a.m. and 11:15 a.m., and between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.)
- Shuttle buses will replace Yellow Line trains between Crystal City and Huntington. Allow additional travel time.
- Huntington, Eisenhower Ave, King St-Old Town and Braddock Road stations will be closed.
- Free shuttle bus information:
- Yellow Line shuttle buses will operate between Huntington, Eisenhower Avenue, King St-Old Town, Braddock Road and Crystal City.
- No stop at Reagan National Airport.
- Customers traveling to/from Reagan National Airport must use a Blue Line shuttle.
While work is being done to prepare for the platform reconstruction, Metro will use the opportunity to perform additional maintenance and repairs, including switch replacement, aerial structure inspection, rail and tie renewal, and grout pad replacement.
From May 25 through September 8, the six stations south of Reagan National Airport will be closed to rebuild crumbling platforms that have deteriorated from decades of exposure to wind, rain, salt and other outdoor elements.
