Tim Bracken, wtop.com
Weekend Wakeup Call – Friday, Jan. 27 to Monday, Jan. 30
WASHINGTON – After Thursday’s Red Line meltdown, we all need to take a deep breath and brace ourselves for another frustrating weekend ride on the Metro. Buses will replace trains between Dupont Circle and Van Ness, and there will be two total station closures.
In other Metro news, traffic around the Vienna Metro station is about to get a little confusing due to a new construction project there.
On the roads, watch out for construction on the Beltway and DC-295, where there will be temporary total closures overnight Friday.
Keep reading, because there will actually be some fun stuff: The Washington Auto Show, the Chinese New Year Parade, the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival, and the super-cool Polar Bear Plunge.
Have a great weekend!
Beltway ramp to Route 7 closure
The ramp from the Inner Loop I-495 to Route 7 (exit 47A) will be closed on Saturday between 6:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. for bridge deck installation. There will also be a single lane closure on both sides of Route 7 during work hours. Detour signs will be posted.
Intermittent lane closures planned for Canal Road between Fox Hall Road and Arizona Avenue
These closures will occur from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting, to allow crews to resurface segments of the roadway.
Temporary signs and traffic control measures will be in place to alert and guide the traveling public through the area.
Metro track work
This weekend’s track work will close the Woodley Park and Cleveland Park stations, and buses will replace trains between Dupont Circle and Van Ness.
Here’s the rundown from Metro:
Red Line
Crews will continue to advance NTSB-recommended track circuit replacement, a key step toward restoring automatic train operations. This weekend’s work will take place between Dupont Circle and Van Ness, with buses replacing trains between those two stations. Two stations — Woodley Park and Cleveland Park — will be closed, with alternate shuttle service provided.
- Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and continuing through system closing on Sunday, shuttle buses will replace Red Line trains between Dupont Circle and Van Ness.
- Red Line trains will operate between Shady Grove and Van Ness and between Dupont Circle and Glenmont. During daytime hours, every other train from Dupont Circle will turn back at Silver Spring.
- Woodley Park and Cleveland Park stations will be closed.
- Customers traveling through the work zone should allow about 25 minutes of additional travel time. All other customers should allow about 10 minutes of additional travel time.
Orange Line
- Trains will single track between McPherson Square and Smithsonian stations for rail renewal work.
- Orange Line trains will depart Vienna and New Carrollton every 16 minutes throughout the weekend. Service will be coordinated with the Blue Line to provide service every 8 minutes at stations from Rosslyn to Stadium-Armory.
- Customers should allow 10-15 minutes of additional travel time.
Blue Line
- Trains will single track between McPherson Square and Smithsonian stations for rail renewal work.
- Blue Line trains will depart Franconia-Springfield and Largo Town Center every 16 minutes throughout the weekend. Service will be coordinated with the Orange Line to provide service every 8 minutes at stations from Rosslyn to Stadium-Armory.
- Customers should allow 10-15 minutes of additional travel time.
Green Line
- Trains will single track between Naylor Road and Branch Avenue for rail renewal.
- Green Line trains will depart Greenbelt and Branch Avenue every 16 minutes throughout the weekend.
- Customers should allow 10-15 minutes of additional travel time.
Yellow Line
- Due to Green Line track work, Yellow Line service will operate between Huntington and Mt. Vernon Square only. Customers traveling to/from stations north of Mt. Vernon Square should use Green Line trains to complete their trip.
- Yellow Line trains will depart Huntington and Mt. Vernon Square every 16 minutes throughout the weekend.
- Customers should allow 10-15 minutes of additional travel time.
New traffic pattern at the Vienna Metro
Starting Monday, a new traffic pattern could cause some confusion for folks traveling on Saintsbury Drive between Nutley Street and Vaden Drive. This is due to a big construction project at the Vienna Metro, where crews will install 12 new bus bays, build a canopy leading to the station entrance, add travel lanes, and install new traffic signals.
This will be in place through June, so here’s what you need to know:
- A portion of Saintsbury Drive will temporarily become one-way.
- Customers who use Saintsbury Drive to access the Vienna/Fairfax Metro station from Nutley Street will be rerouted.
- Detour signs will direct customers from Nutley Street to Lee Highway to Vaden Drive and to Saintsbury Drive.
- Parking in the station’s two garages and surface lots will not be affected.
DC-295 construction
Northbound DC-295 will have a single lane open between the 11th Street Bridge and Pennsylvania Avenue, starting Friday around 8 p.m. until 12 p.m. on Saturday.
While the work is ongoing between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m., there will be periodic 20-minute stoppages.
Washington Auto Show
The Washington Auto Show kicks off Friday with several events, including “Ride and Drive” events from Toyota, Fiat and Cadillac. The big show’s time frame has been doubled, and will run for 10 days, ending February 5th.
Chinese New Year Parade
On Sunday at 2 p.m., the Chinese New Year Parade will move through Chinatown. Here are a list of streets that will be affected:
- I Street NW between 6th and 7th Streets
- 7th Street NW between I Street and G Street
- H Street NW between 8th and 6th Streets
- G Street between 8th and 7th Streets
Sugarloaf Crafts Festival
The Dulles Expo Center will host the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival. Friday through Sunday, you can check out literally hundreds of artisans pottery, jewelry, and more. The festival will also feature lots of live music and children’s entertainment.
Polar Bear Plunge
The Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge is scheduled for Saturday at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis. PlungeFest 2012 will run in conjunction with the Polar Bear Plunge, and will feature live music, a beer garden, and an appearance by Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.
Follow WTOP on Twitter.
(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
