Bethesda, Medical Center Metro stations to close this weekend

Bethesda Metro StationMetro will take the long Labor Day weekend to fix some of the insulator issues it’s been having near the Bethesda and Medical Center Metro stations.

That means both stations won’t offer rail service from Saturday through Monday, with buses replacing trains between Friendship Heights and Grosvenor- Strathmore.

It will be the first time the stations are closed for track work since October 2012, when Metro closed the stations twice in the span of 30 days for track work. This weekend’s work will include grout pad replacement, rail ties and insulator renewal.

MCFRS has been called out to numerous reports of smoking insulator rails in the past year, including one near the Bethesda Metro station on Saturday night. There were no major delays relating to that incident and Metro crews quickly took over management of the situation.

Water leaks in the Metro tunnel below Bethesda caused a stir last year, when it was reported Metro was considering shutting down the section for a few weeks to fix the ongoing problem.

Metro officials quickly said no closure of that significance was imminent.

Metro advises passengers to add 30 minutes of additional travel time to their trips this weekend.

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