Steve Burns
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON – (WMAL) Multiple construction projects on both the roads and the rails, combined with high-profile events in and around the District could make travel even more of a nightmare than it usually is this weekend. Between Saturday night’s Capitals game, a big series between the Nats and Mets at Nationals Park, and Saturday’s Climate March, the District could see prolific delays both on the roads and rails.
Metro is working on three separate projects this weekend that will impact your travel. The Red Line is single-tracking between Farragut North and Judiciary Square to do stray current testing. That was the cause of Thursday morning’s meltdown in that same stretch of track. Metro said single-tracking will cease at 3pm Saturday, five hours ahead of puck drop between the Caps and Penguins at the Verizon Center (located in the middle of that stretch at Gallery Place). Single-tracking will start up again Sunday morning.
More work is set to take place on a stretch of what is usually the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines through downtown. There will be no trains between Foggy Bottom and Federal Triangle, and Silver Line trains will be curtailed, running only between Wiehle and Ballston. Farragut West, McPherson Square, and the lower level of Metro Center will be closed all weekend. Buses are replacing trains through the closed stretch, running both a local route (all stops) and a limited route (stopping only at Foggy Bottom, Metro Center, and Federal Triangle). Through the stretches that are open on the Blue and Orange lines, trains are scheduled much less frequently than usual, every 15-20 minutes.
And don’t forget about the current Safe Track surge, which has the northern stretch of the Green Line closed between Greenbelt and Prince George’s Plaza on Saturday, and Greenbelt and College Park on Sunday.
On the roads, a major project in the region will affect a stretch that already sees regular delays even without anything to tie up traffic further. A stretch of Interstate 95 southbound will be reduced from three lanes to two in Dale City from Saturday night to early Monday morning, both this weekend and next. Crews are working on the bridge over the Neabsco Creek, originally built in 1963.
The Climate March is also expected to produce rolling road closures around the Capitol and White House Saturday morning and afternoon.
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