Douglass Bridge and Other Advisories
By this time next week, the Frederick Douglass Bridge will be closed for the summer, and drivers who normally use South Capitol Street as their commuting route will be looking for alternatives. MTA and Metro buses that use the bridge also will be diverted to other routes. Some buses will make special stops at Metrorail stations on the east side of the Anacostia River for passengers who want to take the train the rest of the way downtown.
The bridge shutdown is scheduled to begin before the Friday morning rush on July 6 and could continue through August, although the District has offered financial incentives to the contractor to finish early. Drivers on I-295 will be diverted north to the 11th Street Bridge.
The District has paved an extra lane on the northbound highway before the bridge to handle some extra traffic, but you still should expect extra congestion. The District estimates that the shutdown will add 20 minutes to the morning's inbound commute and 20 to 30 minutes to the afternoon's outbound commute.
As you look for alternative routes, don't forget that the District just changed the morning commute pattern on Constitution Avenue NE. It used to be a two-lane, one-way street during the morning rush, but in response to neighborhood concerns about safety, the District just made it two way, all the time.
Once the shutdown starts, I'll keep a close watch on its impact and post information and advice here. It's tough to tell exactly how this will go. No one has suggested it's going to be an easy summer for commuters in this area. My main concern is whether Metro's Green Line can handle extra ridership if commuters really do follow the planners' advice and switch from cars to transit during the shutdown.
Other Advisories
Paving Projects -- The District is starting several jobs in Georgetown in July. Among them is K Street NW between 21st Street and Wisconsin Avenue. That is scheduled to begin next Friday, July 6, and to be completed by July 29. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Maryland has big paving projects along I-95 in Howard County and on I-270 between Rockville and Gaithersburg, but because next week has the July 4 holiday and lots of travelers will be on the roads, the State Highway Administration doesn't plan to close any lanes between Saturday and 9 p.m. Friday.
But that won't affect the shortened up merge area from the northbound George Washington Parkway onto the Beltway's inner loop south of the American Legion Bridge. That work zone, which has created extensive congestion on the parkway and the Beltway, will be in place until the fall.
Weekend Track Work -- Metrorail will operate special shuttle train service between the Shady Grove and Twinbrook stations on the Red Line while workers replace fencing along the tracks. Passengers traveling between Shady Grove and Twinbrook should add 40 minutes of travel time because the shuttle train will operate on one track from 10 o'clock tonight to midnight Sunday. There will be shuttle buses, as well. Track maintenance also will slow trips on the Blue Line, and rail car testing will affect trips on the Green Line. You can read more details here.
Third Street Tunnel -- The Massachusetts Avenue exit ramp out of the 3rd St. tunnel will be closed this weekend for repairs. The shutdown starts at 8 p.m. Friday and is scheduled to end before the morning rush on Monday. Same thing will happen next weekend, and that should complete the repairs. Traffic will be detoured to the D Street ramp.
New Virginia Laws -- A bunch of laws take effect on Sunday, July 1 that have to do with transportation in the Commonwealth. One significantly increases the penalties for bad driving. Another allows the restoration of the red-light enforcement cameras. Also, a new law will prohibit use of cell phones by drivers under 18. Meanwhile, hybrid drivers with the proper clean fuel plates get a break: The state government extended their exemption for driving in the HOV lanes until June 30, 2008. It would have expired on Saturday.
Parking in Montgomery County -- Be sure to double check the meters and signs when parking in Bethesda, North Bethesda, Wheaton, Montgomery Hills and Silver Spring starting Sunday. There are new rules about what you have to pay and when you have to pay at some locations.
By |
June 29, 2007; 8:16 AM ET
Commuting
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Posted by: Stuck in Traffic | June 29, 2007 10:31 AM
In the wake of the Virginia madness, Montgomery County has just about slipped thru the increase in parking hours until 10pm. I loved going to Silver Spring and Wheaton in the evenings. I take the bus during the day if I go, but in the evenings, bus service is highly sporadic. Now I will reconsider when I go to either place. It's a shame...
Posted by: Little noticed... | June 29, 2007 11:12 AM
Stuck in Traffic: entering the exit lane, then cutting back into traffic before the exit ramp, and likewise, cutting into an on-ramp lane and riding it to the end for the purpose of bypassing traffic can be considered an unsafe lane change, and the cops can ticket for that. Unfortunately, it seems as if there is never a cop around when the blatent violations occur and the person gets away with it. Not the case a few weeks ago on I-66 west at the Ballston on-ramp though...an unmarked police car just happened to be the vehicle that the cheater tried to cut off in order to use the on-ramp lane to bypass a few cars.
If, however, you actually use the exit, take a different route, and then use another on-ramp, that is perfectly legal...so long as you exit when you enter the exit lane and do not use the entering lane unless you are actually entering. In some cases where there are collector roads (I-66 at Nutley Street, I-66 at Fairfax County Parkway, eastbound I-66 at 123, northbound I-95 at Prince William Parkway, I-95 at Dale City, and the Beltway at Route 7 and Braddock Road are some examples), it is perfectly legal to exit the mainline of the highway, use the collector roadway, and then re-enter the highway, because the collector is considered a different road than the mainline of the highway. Absent any regulatory sign (black letters on white background) prohibiting such a move, so long as it does not involve unsafe lane changes, there is nothing legally wrong with this practice. In fact, VDOT used to encourage this at the Mixing Bowl...I-95 south traffic was encouraged to use the collector roads at Route 644 before they re-built the interchange.
If you feel that this practice should be banned, why not write a letter to VDOT encouraging them to install signs banning it like they did at the westbound rest area on I-66 near Manassas (signs say "Rest Area Traffic Only, Thru Traffic Prohibited"
Posted by: Woodley Park | June 29, 2007 1:31 PM
I have a great deal of sympathy for those people who are going to be forced of the South Capitol Street bridge. The 11th street bridge is going to be gridlocked for most of the day. The options I have been hearing are not really practical for those coming from that corridor.
Posted by: BURKE | June 29, 2007 1:43 PM
I am interested to see how the closure of the South Capitol St. Bridge affects traffic on the SE/SW freeway heading Eastbound. As far as I can tell, the backup from people trying to get onto S. Capitol is the main reason that the eastbound lanes get gridlocked in the evening, so I am actually somewhat optimistic that this could improve the flow along that stretch. I am sure my optimism will be quickly dashed in about a week, however...
Posted by: brewer | June 29, 2007 2:10 PM
Looks like DDOT had all brain cells firing at once on this! Look at the "alternate" routes that they suggest for commuters effected by the bridge closing...
(1) 11th Street bridges (already slammed)
(2) Constitution Ave (just screwed up)
(3) Benning Rd (A JOKE!)
(4) NY Ave (My goodness...)
Given the timing of the Constitution Ave traffic switch -- we'll have two groups of commuters fighting it out!
Can't wait to stand for 40 minutes on the Blue Line next to someone with terrible B.O. -- YEA DDOT!
Posted by: Forget Constitution Ave... | June 29, 2007 2:57 PM
Body odor is less noxious than your car's exhaust.
Posted by: bkp | June 29, 2007 3:02 PM
@ little noticed...,
So, you'll avoid driving to Wheaton and SS to avoid onerous parking fees of 35 and 45 cents per hour? Stay three hours and it's still cheaper than the round trip bus ride you'd take during the day.
From the article:
COST OF PARKING UNCHANGED
Meter parking fees are 35 cents an hour in Wheaton; 45 cents an hour for short term and 60 cents an hour for long term in Silver Spring; and 50 cents an hour for short term and 75 cents an hour for long term in Bethesda.
Posted by: jyindc | June 29, 2007 5:29 PM
They didn't add an extra lane on I-295N. They extended the on ramp right before the exit for the bridge. Then they changed the traffic pattern to accommodate this "extra" lane. Instead of the middle and right lanes going to the bridge, it's now the 2 right lanes. I hadn't travelled that way in a few months. When I came upon the exit, I had to make a quick lane change since I was in the old middle lane. Also the overhead signs still indicate only 3 lanes, with the middle lane having access to the bridge exit.
Posted by: Melissa | July 2, 2007 8:52 AM
I don't know why DDOT wouldn't mention Pennsylvania Ave -- it's a reasonable alternative for anyone coming up I-295 northbound.
Posted by: Andrew | July 2, 2007 11:49 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
When is Virginia going to finally get on the ball and stop all of these people who bypass traffic by taking the off ramps while the rest of us just watch them blow by. Isn't this against the law to use these ramps for the purpose of passing traffic or can I start using these little shortcuts myself? And VDOT, how about getting the information on your traffic signs right.