Tim Bracken, wtop.com

WASHINGTON - This Columbus Day weekend brings construction delays on Metrorail and the Capital Beltway and lane closures along the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

The Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon, Monster Mask 5K, Mind Your Health 5K and Columbus Day Presidential Fitness Run shouldn't hinder travel through northern Virginia and the Disctrict.

There will be lots of fun events, including the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Md., Art on the Avenue, Taste of DC and Columbia Heights Day.

George Washington Memorial Parkway closure

Rock stabilization work along the George Washington Memorial Parkway will result in a full closure of the two northbound lanes between Spout Run and Chain Bridge beginning Friday, Oct. 6 at 7:00 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 8.

Detours will be posted, variable message boards have been placed, and alternate routes are strongly advised.

Motorists should take Route 50 west or exit at Spout Run Parkway to Route 29 south and follow I-66 west to I-495 to access the Beltway.

A second and third full weekend closure is tentatively scheduled for the weekends of Oct. 13 and 14 and Oct. 20 and 21. Additional information about the project and future closures can be found here.

Columbus Day travel info

Metro will open at 5 a.m. and close at midnight. Trains will operate on a Saturday schedule. Parking at Metro-owned lots and garages is free on the holiday. Off-peak fares will be in effect all day.

Buses will operate on a Saturday schedule, while some post-midnight trips on the Saturday schedule will not operate.

Also in D.C., residential parking, street sweeping and rush-hour violations are suspended.

Parking fees also are suspended Monday in Arlington and Alexandria, but not in Montgomery County, where Columbus Day is not an official holiday.

Reversible-lane roadways like Rock Creek Parkway are open for two-way traffic during rush hours in D.C.

HOV restrictions also are lifted for I-95/I-395, I-66 and the Dulles Toll Road in Virginia.

There will be no service for MARC and VRE trains.

Metro construction update

Metro's rebuilding efforts continue this weekend with single-tracking on the Red and Orange lines. There is no work scheduled for the Blue, Yellow, and Green lines.

All work begins at 10 p.m. Friday, and continues through system closing on Monday. Here is the update from Metro:

Red Line

• Red Line trains will single-track between Judiciary Square and Fort Totten.
• Trains between Glenmont and Shady Grove will operate every 26 minutes throughout the weekend.
• Between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, additional trains will operate between Shady Grove and Judiciary Square only, resulting in service about every 13 minutes between those stations.
• Customers traveling on the eastern leg of the Red Line should expect at least a 20-minute delay.
• Travelers on the western leg and downtown should allow about 10 minutes of additional travel time.

Orange Line

• Orange Line trains will single-track between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly.
• During daytime hours on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, every other Orange Line train from Vienna will terminate at Stadium-Armory and return to Vienna. Customers traveling to/from stations east of Stadium-Armory should allow about 15 minutes of additional travel time.
• Between Vienna and Stadium-Armory, trains will operate at normal weekend intervals.

Telegraph Road Interchange construction

The Virginia Department of Transportation is advising drivers to avoid the Capital Beltway's Inner Loop near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge due to weekend construction.

Between 9 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Sunday, the Inner Loop THRU lanes will be reduced to a single lane between U.S. Route 1 and the Eisenhower Connector.

Beltway construction update

Overnight road work continues on both loops of the Capital Beltway between Interstate 66 and Georgetown Pike. Expect a minimum of two lanes getting by between 9:30 p.m. and 9 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

On Saturday, the Outer Loop in Maryland will be closed at 201 Kenilworth Ave. One lane will close at 7 p.m., two lanes by 9 p.m. and three lanes by 10 p.m.

After midnight, temporary total closures are possible for up to 30 minutes at a time. All lanes should reopen by 8 a.m.

I-95/I-395 HOV closure

Starting at 11 p.m. and continuing through 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday, the Interstate 95 and Interstate 395 High Occupancy Vehicle lanes will be closed between Dumfries Road and Duke Street.

At 9 a.m. Saturday, HOV lanes will reopen in the northbound direction.

I-66 closure

Overnight roadwork will close all lanes of I-66 westbound between the Dulles Connector Road and Leesburg Pike between 9:30 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday.

Traffic will be diverted onto the Dulles Connector Road westbound, then to Route 123 south and the Capital Beltway to continue on I-66.

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Amy Freedman, wtop.com

WASHINGTON - The opening of the newly constructed ramp connecting DC 295 northbound with 11th Street southeast has been moved from Oct. 3 to Oct. 4 due to inclement weather on Tuesday.

Starting at 8 p.m. Wednesday, the Howard Rd southeast entrance ramp to DC 295 northbound will be closed to complete final paving and tie-in work for the new ramp.

Also starting at 8 p.m., DC 295 northbound between Howard Road and Pennsylvania Avenue will be reduced to one lane.

The Howard Road ramp and lanes of DC 295 should be reopened by 5 a.m. Thursday.

It has yet to be announced exactly what time the new ramp will be opening Thursday.

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Amy Freedman, wtop.com

Monday, Oct. 1 through Wednesday, Oct. 3 DAILY from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Outer Loop exit ramp to Telegraph Road South, Huntington Avenue and N. Kings Highway will be closed.
• The Telegraph Road ramp to N. Kings Highway East OR the ramp to Huntington Avenue East will be closed.

Monday, Oct. 1 through Friday, Oct. 5 DAILY from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 1 OVERNIGHT from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning

• The right lane of the Inner Loop THROUGH lanes will be closed between Telegraph Road and the Eisenhower Connector.
• The left lane of the Inner Loop LOCAL lanes will be closed between Telegraph Road and the Eisenhower Connector.

Monday, Oct. 1 and Tuesday, Oct. 2 NIGHTLY from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning

• Outer Loop three right lanes will be closed between Van Dorn Street and the Eisenhower Connector.
• Outer Loop exit ramp to the Eisenhower Connector will be closed.

Tuesday, Oct. 2 OVERNIGHT from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning

• Outer Loop two right lanes will be closed between the Eisenhower Connector and Telegraph Road.
• Outer Loop exit ramp to Telegraph Road South, Huntington Avenue and N. Kings Highway will be closed.
• Outer Loop exit ramp to Telegraph Road North and Eisenhower Avenue will be closed.

Wednesday, Oct. 3 OVERNIGHT from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning

• Inner Loop three right lanes will be closed between the Eisenhower Connector and Van Dorn Street.
• Inner Loop three right LOCAL lanes will be closed at Telegraph Road.
• Inner Loop exit ramp to Telegraph Road South will be closed.
• Inner Loop exit ramp to the Eisenhower Connector will be closed.

Thursday, Oct. 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Outer Loop exit ramp to Telegraph Road North and Eisenhower Avenue will be closed.
• Telegraph Road South access ramp to the Outer Loop will be closed.

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

WASHINGTON - Metro is making some big changes to its bus routes Sunday.

The transit agency is planning changes affecting 30 routes in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

The 16F and 16Y routes along Columbia Pike, and the 28X route on Leesburg Pike are becoming limited-stop, express routes.

Schedule changes are coming to the Y buses on Georgia Avenue in Maryland, and the MetroExtra J4 service.

On other lines, some stops are being eliminated and or the time tables are shifting.

Metro estimates a third of its ridership will be benefit from the changes.

Metro has posted the full list of changes on its website. View the list here.

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Tim Bracken, wtop.com

WASHINGTON - Expect major delays on Metro rail this weekend. The Green line will see the worst of the delays with three station closures.

Several festivals and running events are scheduled. These events could affect traffic and add to Metro delays.

There will be also be lots of construction, with on-going overnight closures on I- 66, the Beltway and the I-95/I-395 High Occupancy Vehicle lanes.

Metro update

Significant delays are expected on all Metro lines this weekend. All work begins at 10 p.m. Friday and continues through system closing Sunday. Here's the update from wmata.com.

Red line

• Trains will single track between NoMa/Gallaudet U and Fort Totten.
• Throughout the weekend, Red line trains will operate every 20 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont.
• Between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, additional trains will operate between Shady Grove and NoMa/Gallaudet U stations, resulting in service about every 10 minutes between those stations.
• Delays of at least 10 minutes are expected.
• Metro recommends the Green line as an alternate for service between Fort Totten and Gallery Place.

Orange line

• Buses will replace Orange line trains between Vienna and East Falls Church.
• Throughout the weekend, Orange line trains will operate between East Falls Church and New Carrollton every 16 minutes.
• Buses will operate on two routes. Express buses will operate between Vienna and East Falls Church only, while local buses will make intermediate stops at Dunn Loring and West Falls Church stations.

Blue line

• There is no scheduled track work on the Blue Line, but trains will operate every 16 minutes between Franconia-Springfield and Largo Town Center to avoid schedule conflicts with Orange and Yellow line trains.
• Delays of at least 10 minutes are expected.

Green line

• Buses will replace Green line trains between Southern Avenue and Branch Avenue.
• Branch Avenue, Suitland and Naylor Road stations will be closed.
• Free shuttle buses will operate between Branch Avenue, Suitland, Naylor Road and Southern Avenue stations.
• Delays of at least 40 minutes are expected.
• Between Southern Avenue and Greenbelt, Green line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals.
• The last train from Southern Avenue to Greenbelt will depart at 2:32 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and at 11:32 p.m. on Sunday.

Yellow line

• Yellow line trains will single track between Huntington and Braddock Road.
• Throughout the weekend, Yellow line trains will operate between Huntington and Mount Vernon Square stations every 16 minutes.
• Customers traveling to/from stations north of Mount Vernon Square should use Green line trains to complete their trip.
• Delays of at least 10 minutes are expected.

I-66 closure

Overnight roadwork will close all lanes of I-66 westbound between the Dulles Connector Road and Leesburg Pike between 9:30 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday.

Traffic will be diverted onto onto the Dulles Connector Road westbound, then to Route 123 south and the Capital Beltway to continue on I-66.

Beltway construction update

Overnight road work continues on both loops of the Capital Beltway between Interstate 66 and Georgetown Pike. Expect a minimum of two lanes getting by between 9:30 p.m. and 9 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

After midnight, temporary total closures are possible for up to 30 minutes at a time.

I-95/I-395 HOV closure

Starting at 11 p.m. and continuing through 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday, the Interstate 95 and Interstate 395 High Occupancy Vehicle lanes will be closed between Dumfries Road and Duke Street.

At 9 a.m. Saturday, HOV lanes will reopen in the northbound direction.

New York Avenue construction Rehabilitation efforts continue on New York Avenue, with only a single lane available for travel in both directions between Florida Avenue and 4th Street NE between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. Saturday.

SW ArtsFest

The SW ArtsFest kicks of at 9 a.m. Saturday in the Southwest Waterfront area. Expect lots of music performances, food, and art presentations.

Turkish Festival

The 2012 Turkish Festival will be held in front of Freedom Plaza this Sunday. The free festival will feature folk dancing, music performances and even children's activities.

9/11 Heroes Run

The Shirlington 9/11 Heroes Run is scheduled for 8 a.m. Saturday. The course will take runners along Four Mile Run and Arlington Mill Drive between George Mason Drive and I-395. Expect early morning street closures as a result.

Undy 5000

The Undy 5000 race is scheduled for 8 a.m. Saturday in Rock Creek Park. Expect closures on Beach Drive and Morrow Drive NW south of Joyce Road. See the course map here.

Sprint Four the Cure

The Sprint Four the Cure race kicks off 8 a.m. Saturday at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown.

Prevent Cancer Foundation 5k

The Prevent Cancer Foundation 5k is scheduled for 8 a.m. Sunday at Nationals Park. Watch for street closures around Nationals Park until noon.

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Tim Bracken, wtop.com

WASHINGTON - This weekend features several festivals and charity running events. The MS Challenge walk takes place on Saturday and Sunday, so watch for delays between Arlington and the District.

Metro delays are expected on the Red and Orange Lines, and a daytime closure of 11th Street SE near the Navy Yard could confuse some travelers.

Metro update

Delays are expected on the Red and Orange lines due to track work. Here's a summary from Metro:

Red Line

• Buses will replace Red Line trains between Grosvenor and Friendship Heights.
• Red Line trains will operate in two segments - between Shady Grove and Grosvenor, and between Friendship Heights and Glenmont.
• Between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Red Line trains will operate every 10 minutes. At other times, trains will operate at regular weekend intervals.
• On Friday and Saturday nights, the last Red Line train from Shady Grove to Grosvenor will depart at 1:58 a.m. -- 32 minutes earlier than normal -- to allow for shuttle bus connections. On Sunday night, the last train will depart Shady Grove at 10:58 p.m.
• Delays of at least 30 minutes are expected.

Orange Line

• Trains will single track between East Falls Church and Ballston, and between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly.
• Throughout the weekend, Orange Line trains will operate every 24 minutes.
• Delays of at least 15 minutes are expected.

Beltway construction update

Overnight road work continues on both loops of the Capital Beltway between Interstate 66 and Georgetown Pike. Expect a minimum of two lanes getting by between 9:30 p.m. and 9 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. After midnight, temporary total closures are possible for up to 30 minutes at a time.

I-95/I-395 HOV closure

Starting at 11 p.m. Friday and continuing through 9 a.m. Saturday, the Interstate 95 and Interstate 395 High Occupancy Vehicle lanes will be closed between Dumfries Road and Duke Street. At 9 a.m. Saturday, HOV lanes will reopen in the northbound direction.

11th Street SE closure

On Saturday between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., 11th Street SE will be closed between M Street and O Street while crews perform demolition work.

Traffic headed to Anacostia from M Street SE and the Navy Yard Area will be detoured onto the ramp at the intersection of M Street and 11th Street SE to southbound I-295, then to Howard Road SE to access Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE.

MS Challenge Walk

The MS Challenge Walk takes place on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday's route takes participants from Friendship Heights through the District and concludes in Arlington.

Sunday's route begins in Arlington and concludes at the U.S. Capitol.

Barracks Row Fall Festival On Saturday the following streets will be closed starting at 7 a.m. and should reopen by 6 p.m.:

• 8th Street, SE from E to I streets
• G Street, SE from 7th to 9th streets

The National Book Festival takes over the National Mall on Saturday and Sunday, and will feature presentations from more than 100 authors, poets, and illustrators.

Fiesta D.C.

The Fiesta D.C. Latino Festival is scheduled between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday on Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 9th and 14th Streets.

The festival will feature five stages hosting music, folklore, theater and other performing arts. There will be special children's events, a science fair, and sections for arts and crafts.

Clarendon Day

The Clarendon Day Festival is scheduled for between 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Saturday, and will feature live music, art and food vendors.

The Clarendon Day 10K/5K races start around 8:30 a.m. Saturday, and will take runners along Wilson Boulevard and Jefferson Davis Highway. See the course map.

Cancer Prevention and Treatment 5K Run

The Cancer Prevention and Treatment 5K is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday.

The course starts at the C&O Canal Trail in Georgetown and finishes below the Key Bridge.

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Amy Freedman, wtop.com

WASHINGTON - The entrance ramp off Howard Road SE to D.C. 295 northbound will be closed from 8 p.m. Wednesday Sept. 19 until 5 a.m. Thursday Sept. 20.

Also starting at 8 p.m., a short stretch of D.C. 295 northbound will be reduced to a single lane between Howard Road SE and the 11th Street Bridge until 5 a.m.

These closures will allow for a paving operation on the new ramp connection from D.C. 295 northbound to the 11th Street Bridge.

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Amy Freedman, wtop.com

WASHINGTON - There are several festivals, events and races this weekend including the Bruce Springsteen concert, the H Street festival, The Renaissance Festival and the Inaugural Joint Base Half Marathon and Navy 5-miler. Metro will open early Sunday at 6 a.m. for the joint base race, but track work does continue throughout the weekend.There are also a couple of roadway projects to be aware of. Enjoy the beautiful weather and have fun!

Springsteen concert

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are playing at Nationals Stadium Friday at 7:30 p.m. Whenever there's a big event at Nats Stadium, the roadways generally impacted are I-66 eastbound, I-395 northbound, SW Freeway westbound, both directions of DC 295, Douglass Bridge and South Capitol Street.

H Street Festival

The H Street Festival takes place on H Street in Northeast between 8th and 14th streets on Saturday. Music, dance, crafts and food are featured.

The following streets will be closed from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m.:

• H Street Northeast closed from 8th Street to 14th Street.
• I Street Northeast is closed between 9th and 13th streets.
• G Street Northeast is closed between 10th and 13th streets.
• 13th Street Northeast is closed between H and I streets.

Joint Base Half Marathon and Navy 5-Miler

This inaugural event will start and finish on 15th Street Northwest between Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive, beginning at 7:20 a.m. Sunday. Expect rolling closures to encompass Constitution between 9th and 19th streets, 9th Street Tunnel, Ohio Drive and Rock Creek Parkway past Pennsylvania Avenue. Here's a course map.

Maryland Renaissance Festival

The festival will be running weekends through Oct. from 10 a.m to 7 p.m. If you live in the Annapolis area, be aware that Defense Highway, Crownsville Rd and I-97 will be especially busy and may best be avoided if possible.

Navy Federal Credit Union 5k

The run will take place in downtown Vienna. Several roads around Follin Lane will be closed Saturday between 8:45 a.m. and 10 a.m.

Delmarva Bike Week

Expect thousands of motorcycles throughout the weekend traveling to and on the Eastern Shore. Route 50 and the Bay Bridge will be especially impacted.

New York Avenue Closures

On Saturday between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m., New York Avenue Northeast between Florida Avenue and Penn Street will run one lane in each direction for ongoing bridge rehabilitation work.

Memorial Bridge Lane Closures

On Friday between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., expect various lane closures for bridge deck repairs

Metro Track Work

Red Line trains will single track between Van Ness and Friendship Heights as well as NoMa-Galludet and Fort Totten. Trains will operate all weekend every 20 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont.

Orange Line trains single track between Vienna and West Falls Church. Trains will operate all weekend between Vienna and New Carrollton every 20 minutes.

Blue Line trains will single track between Stadium-Armory and Morgan Blvd. Trains will run every 24 minutes between Franconia-Springfield and Largo Town Center.

On the Green line, buses will replace trains between Greenbelt and College Park. Otherwise Green lines trains will operate at regular weekend intervals between College Park and Branch Avenue.

Yellow line has no scheduled work.

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Dave Dildine, wtop.com

WASHINGTON - The days of easy summer commuting are over.

The rush hours following Labor Day are notorious for featuring a resurgence of highway volume as kids go back to school and summer vacations draw to a close.

While many Washingtonians have come to expect the onslaught of heavy traffic, many insist that delays are worse now than ever before.

"Traffic in September - it happens every year. The pattern is predictable, but the degree has increased over the years," says WTOP Traffic reporter Bob Marbourg.

Although there is little doubt that highway volumes have increased throughout the metro area over time, Marbourg explains there are several elements that contribute to the perception of a worsening of traffic congestion.

"Over the summer people may change where they live, their workplace may move and so often they are coming from new directions on new routes, and it does take some getting used to," he says.

Data compiled for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments bear this out.

The average daily delay per traveler dropped by 18 percent between June 2011 and July 2011 (25.1 minutes to 20.6 minutes). In September 2011, the average daily delay per traveler shot up nearly 27 percent between August and September (20.4 minutes to 25.8 minutes).

Obviously, many people in the Washington area have much longer commutes that can stretch into hours.

The report breaks down a wide range of travel issues, including where the worst traffic occurs.

In addition to societal shifts, Marbourg also indicates that delays in autumn form due to environmental changes.

"In the fall, if you live west of your workplace, you're driving into the sunshine on your way to work and heading into the sunset on your way home," he says.

"With the sun lower on the horizon, it's going to be squarely in your eyes and in the eyes of the driver ahead of you."

WTOP Traffic reporter Bob Immler frequently witnesses an overlap between waning rush hour volumes and newly generated congestion caused by overnight construction.

"We have all the work zones out there on the Beltway in Maryland and Virginia and this too is making it seem worse than in past years," Immler says.

WTOP Traffic Director Jim Battagliese says that the worst is yet to come.

"The reality is summer's over. We're back to our normal winter driving patterns," he says.

And this means having to adjust to the night sky.

"Just wait until the end of daylight saving time when we'll be driving home in the dark," Battagliese says.

"It's going to get really bad because for that first week, people have to readjust to driving with their headlights on."

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Amy Freedman, wtop.com

WASHINGTON - Dulles Airport Access Highway's new eastbound ramp, which leads to the Beltway's Inner and Outer Loops, opened on Saturday, Sept. 8.

The ramp provides a safer and more convenient direct connection to the Beltway.

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)