Union Station Centennial

Washington's cathedral of transportation is celebrating its 100th anniversary this weekend. It's also the 20th anniversary of its rebirth after years of neglect. Visit the open house events at Union Station from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Historic locomotives, private rail cars and current Amtrak equipment will be on display. You can also see memorabilia exhibits and participate in drawings for free Amtrak trips....

By | October 3, 2008; 03:22 PM ET | Comments (0)

The Weekend and Beyond

Metro Previews Weekends The transit authority has put out its first schedule for an entire month's worth of weekend track work, so riders have more time to anticipate the delays. Metro had been posting the weekend work plan on the Thursday before it begins, so this new system is a bit of a breakthrough, though riders would prefer to do away with weekend track work altogether. So what's up in October? The transit authority will be installing new rails, upgrading sections of track, replacing floating slabs and conducting switch replacement work on the Red, Orange, Blue and Green lines. (It's Yellow that's missing.) The delays resulting from track-sharing around the work zones will be 15 to 20 minutes. Army 10-Miler But there will be no track work on Sunday morning to impede those running in or just watching the annual Army 10-Miler race in Arlington and the District. Metrorail will...

By | October 3, 2008; 11:10 AM ET | Comments (0)

Sunday Traffic Alert: Army 10-Miler

Here's some advice for getting to, or getting around, the annual race scheduled for Sunday morning. Take the train. Metrorail is adding service, and Arlington County is closing some roads because of the Army 10-Miler. The rail system will open an hour early, at 6 a.m. And there will be extra service on the Blue Line, the one that race participants and spectators will be most likely to use. Meanwhile, Metrobuses that normally use the Pentagon Transit Center will be relocated temporarily on Sunday morning to Pentagon City until Arlington County reopens the roadways it will close for the race. Metro figures that bus service at the Pentagon Transit Center should return to normal by about 2 p.m. Sunday, but note that the Pentagon Metrorail station will be open throughout the race to accommodate spectators and participants. The race is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. and end at 11...

By | October 2, 2008; 07:21 AM ET | Comments (3)

Traffic Alert: Connecticut Avenue Reopens

Update, 4:25 p.m.: Police activity has concluded around the 5000 block of Connecticut Avenue and all the lanes have been reopened. Original Post: This from the District Department of Transportation at 3:15 p.m.: Police activity has closed Connecticut Avenue between 36th Street NW and Chevy Chase Parkway. Traffic is being diverted around the area. The delays are expected to continue into the afternoon rush hour, and motorists are advised to plan an alternate route if possible. Check our traffic page for alerts and camera views....

By | October 1, 2008; 03:42 PM ET | Comments (1)

Metro Announces Oct. Weekend Schedule

For the first time, the transit authority has put out a schedule for an entire month's worth of weekend track work, so riders can anticipate delays. That's a bit of a breakthrough, though commenters on my online discussion today clearly would prefer to do away with weekend track work altogether. The monthly notice replaces a system in which the transit authority would put out announcements on Thursday about track work and delays for the following weekend. "We want our rail riders to use this schedule as a tool so they can plan their weekends and see where our maintenance crews will be in the rail system," Dave Kubicek, the assistant general manager for Metrorail, said in a statement. So what's up in October? The transit authority will be installing new rails, upgrading sections of track, replacing floating slabs and conducting switch replacement work on the Red, Orange, Blue and Green...

By | September 29, 2008; 03:07 PM ET | Comments (2)

Silver Spring Station This Morning

Buses, police, crossing guards and drivers must all adjust to new traffic patterns near Silver Spring Metro station. (Thomson) Silver Spring's old hub for buses and taxis was deserted this morning, surrounded by chain link fence. But the nearby streets were bustling as never before with buses and pedestrians -- and some impatient drivers trying to get around them. The zone was flooded with police, crossing guards and guides pointing out the new bus stops to confused commuters. One Metro supervisor compared the operation to the opening of Nationals Park, only there, some streets could be closed off for safety. At Silver Spring, there are more bus to bus transfers than bus to rail transfers. There were limits to how far apart the new bus stops could be spread after the station area was shut on Sunday to make way for construction of the new transit center. So this...

By | September 29, 2008; 10:07 AM ET | Comments (6)

Bridge Opening for 'Amistad'

The schooner Amistad, which has spent the weekend at the Gangplank Marina on the Southwest Washington waterfront, is scheduled to pass through the Wilson Bridge very early on Monday. The bridge will open at 4:45 a.m. Monday. The timings are always subject to change. Here's a link to the page on the Wilson Bridge Web site that displays the bridge opening scheduled. The schooner is a recreation of La Amistad, which became a central part of the first human rights case in U.S. courts argued on behalf of enslaved Africans. The ship's visit to National Harbor and Washington this month commemorated the 1808 signing of the U.S. law abolishing the African slave trade....

By | September 28, 2008; 06:26 PM ET | Comments (0)

The Weekend and Beyond

Some advisories and suggestions about your upcoming travels. Metrorail Delays The transit authority is doing track maintenance on the Red, Blue, Orange and Green lines this weekend, which means delays of 15 to 20 minutes for riders because trains on all those lines will be sharing tracks to get around the work zones. See full details on Metro's Web site. Events and Metrobus Detours Saturday and Sunday events in Washington and Arlington are likely to cause some traffic delays and will require some Metrobus detours. The events include Bike DC and Clarendon Day on Saturday, and Fiesta DC and the Chinese Cultural Festival on Sunday. See details about time and place, and the Metrobus detours here. Bus Route Changes Metro is making some significant changes to service on routes in the District, Maryland and Virginia, effective on Sunday. See full details here, but these are some of them. Route 5A:...

By | September 27, 2008; 11:41 AM ET | Comments (1)

Outer Loop Lanes Reopen After Truck Fire

The scene near the Persimmon Tree Road bridge today. (Lewis R. Gollub for The Washington Post) UPDATE, 1:35 p.m.: All lanes are now open. Traffic remains backed up in both directions. UPDATE, 1:10 p.m.: Just one left lane of the Outer Loop is now blocked. Traffic remains slow before Connecticut Avenue and the length of the southbound 270 Spur. Inner Loop traffic is slow after Rte. 7. UPDATE, 1 p.m.: Two lanes of the Outer Loop are getting by to the right. All Inner Loop lanes are open. ORIGINAL POST: An accident involving a truck this morning in Montgomery County has blocked all lanes on the Outer Loop of the Beltway at River Road. Two right lanes are getting by on the Inner Loop and traffic slows starting at the George Washington Parkway. NBC4 reports that a welders truck overturned and caught fire at about 11 a.m. near the...

By Mike McPhate | September 23, 2008; 11:46 AM ET | Comments (4)

The Weekend and Beyond

Some suggestions on local travel and transportation issues for this weekend and the rest of the month. Metrorail Delays Track maintenance on the Red, Orange and Green lines will start tonight and continue through Sunday. Riders should 15 to 20 minutes to their normal travel times on those lines, because trains heading inbound and outbound will be sharing a track to get around the work zones. See full details here on Metro's Web site. Metrobus Detours Events in Washington and Virginia on Saturday and Sunday will require some Metrobuses to detour around the activities. So you see a list of the events and the affected bus lines on this page at Metro's Web site. Bay Bridge The eastbound span of the Bay Bridge will be closed for maintenance during overnight hours through the weekend, the Maryland Transportation Authority says. These are the closing hours: -- 11 p.m. Friday to 7...

By | September 19, 2008; 12:03 PM ET | Comments (4)

I-395 Work in District Tonight

The District Department of Transportation plans to install a new overhead sign on Interstate 395 at the 14th Street Bridge tonight from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. The northbound lanes will be closed during the work, and there may be some lane closings on the southbound side as well. The detours: -- Northbound traffic will take be diverted onto 14th Street and then to Independence Avenue, make a right turn and then another right onto 9th Street to reach the 9th Street Tunnel and then get back on the Interstate. -- Southbound drivers will take Exit 4 to Maine Avenue, make a right turn and follow the signs for southbound I-395. This is part of an 18-month project to improve signs on I-395. It's scheduled to be completed over the next four weeks, DDOT says....

By | September 19, 2008; 06:12 AM ET | Comments (5)

Traffic Alert: Bay Bridge Overnight

The eastbound span of the Bay Bridge will be closed for maintenance during overnight hours through the weekend, the Maryland Transportation Authority says. These are the closing hours: -- 10 p.m. tonight to 5 a.m. Friday. -- 11 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday. -- 10 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday. -- 10 p.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday. Two-way traffic will operate on what is normally the westbound span during the closures. Watch your speed. Two-way traffic heightens the danger to drivers. Workers are installing rumble strips between the eastbound travel lanes to alert motorists who accidentally cross the double solid lines that separate the lanes. The transportation authority says the closings schedule is designed to accommodate rush hour traffic and also the extra traffic that is likely to be generated by two weekend events on the Eastern Shore: NASCAR races in Dover, Del., and SunFest in Ocean...

By | September 18, 2008; 02:49 PM ET | Comments (0)

Watch for Late Traffic at Dupont Circle

One of the outer lanes on the north side of Dupont Circle is scheduled to be closed to traffic tonight and Wednesday night, says the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority. Crews will be working on a project to replace aging water mains, the authority says. The scheduled work hours in this zone, between 19th Street and Connecticut Avenue NW, are 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night....

By | September 16, 2008; 03:22 PM ET | Comments (0)

VDOT Fixing Hanna Damage

The Springvale Road bridge over Piney Run in Great Falls is closed for a few weeks while emergency repairs are made to bridge supports, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced today. Here's the VDOT detour, which probably will add about 10 minutes to travel times: Leesburg Pike (Route 7) west, right on Utterback Store Road, right on Georgetown Pike (Route 193) back to Springvale. Do the reverse if driving south from Georgetown Pike to Leesburg Pike. Watch for signs in both directions. VDOT engineers estimate it could take up to four weeks to fix the bridge's support abutments, which were damaged by Tropical Storm Hanna....

By | September 16, 2008; 03:08 PM ET | Comments (1)

Columbia Heights Station Reopened

The Columbia Heights Station reopened at 11:45 a.m., Metro says. It was closed for an hour and 42 minutes while D.C. police investigated a report of a suspicious package outside the station. Green Line trains continued to pass through the station, but didn't stop....

By | September 16, 2008; 12:01 PM ET | Comments (0)

Columbia Heights Station Temporarily Closed

The Columbia Heights Metro station closed at 10:03 a.m. today while D.C. police check a report of a suspicious package outside the station. Green Line trains were still passing through the station, but they weren't stopping. Metro was setting up a free shuttle bus service between the Georgia Avenue-Petworth and U Street stations. Metro posts updates at the top of its home page. Metro says it affects some bus routes, too, because police have blocked 14th and Irving streets NW. So the H2, H4 and H8 buses eastbound are detouring onto Little Harvard and then onto Columbia Road. Meanwhile, Routes 52 and 54 northbound are detouring onto Girard Street, then to 13th and Monroe and onto 14th....

By | September 16, 2008; 10:53 AM ET | Comments (1)

Reduced Service on Fairfax Connector

For a second day, the county bus service in southern Fairfax is sharply reduced because of a strike. Here are the basics: -- Hourly service will operate on Routes 101, 151, 152, 171, 310, 321, 322 and 401. -- No service on Routes 161, 162, 231, 232, 301, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 331, 332, 380 and VRE EZ Bus North and South. See Post story by Eric Weiss....

By | September 16, 2008; 07:51 AM ET | Comments (3)

Roads Closing in Rock Creek Park

Starting on Tuesday, some roads in the park will be closed during the middle of the day for maintenance. There are no closings scheduled during the rush periods. Here are the times and locations. Tuesday, 9:30 am to 2:30 pm: Beach Drive (northbound lane) closed between Rock Creek Parkway and Piney Branch Parkway NW; Piney Branch Parkway (eastbound lane) closed between Beach Drive and Arkansas Avenue NW; Klingle Road closed between Porter Street and Beach Drive NW. Wednesday and Thursday, 9:30 am to 2:30 pm: Glover Road closed between Grant Road and Broad Branch Road NW; Ross Drive closed between Glover Road and Joyce Road NW. Tuesday, Sept. 23, and Wednesday, Sept. 24, 9:30 am to 2:30 pm: Ross Drive closed between Glover Road and Joyce Road NW....

By | September 15, 2008; 01:03 PM ET | Comments (0)

Triathlon Closing Some Roads Sunday

The National Park Service and the District will be closing off some streets in Washington and Montgomery County on Sunday morning and early afternoon for the biking and running parts of The Nation's Triathlon. Click on the image to see the route map. Here's the schedule: -- 5 am - 1 pm: Rock Creek Parkway at Virginia Ave to Ohio Drive -- 6 am - noon: Rock Creek Parkway from Connecticut Avenue/Calvert Street to Virginia Ave -- 5 am - 1 pm: Independence Ave from 23rd to 14th streets -- 5 am - 1 pm Ohio Drive to West Potomac Park -- 5 am - 1 pm: Ohio Drive to East Potomac Park (Haines Point) -- 6 am - 1 pm: East Basin Drive -- 6 am - 1 pm: Maine Ave from I-395 ramp to Independence Ave split -- 5 am - 1 pm: Constitution Ave from 17th to...

By | September 14, 2008; 05:00 AM ET | Comments (5)

The Weekend and Beyond

Here's some advice in planning your travels for this weekend and the rest of the month. Nation's Triathlon on Sunday The National Park Service and the District will be closing off some streets in Washington and Montgomery County on Sunday morning and early afternoon for the biking and running parts of The Nation's Triathlon. Use this link to see a list of the closures and the times. On this page, you'll find The Post's map and description of the course. Metrorail Track Work This is the weekend for the annual inspection and maintenance project on the bridge that takes the Yellow Line across the Potomac. (One of the best views in the Metrorail system.) Best bet is to use the Blue Line instead. More details are available here on Metro's Web site. That's the only maintenance project this weekend that will disrupt your train travels. Metrobus Detours Use this link...

By | September 13, 2008; 10:04 AM ET | Comments (0)

Yellow Line Bridge Closing For Weekend

Metro is going to shut down the Yellow Line Bridge over the Potomac for inspection and routine maintenance. People who want to be among the first to visit the newly opened Pentagon Memorial should be among those taking note of this. You'll want to be on the Blue Line to reach Pentagon Station. Passengers traveling south of Pentagon Station on the Yellow Line should add 20 minutes to the normal time for their trips -- or take the Blue Line. The Yellow Line will operate only between Huntington and Arlington Cemetery starting at 10 p.m. Friday through the end of service at midnight Sunday. When a Yellow Line train arrives at Arlington Cemetery, passengers must transfer to a Blue Line train, since the Yellow Line will not operate between the Pentagon and Fort Totten. Yellow Line passengers south of the Pentagon, and who need to get to the Green Line...

By | September 12, 2008; 10:43 AM ET | Comments (0)

Roads, Transit Center Reopened

All the roads that had been closed for this morning's ceremony at the Pentagon have reopened, the Virginia Department of Transportation reports. Also back in business is the Pentagon Transit Center. The Metrobuses that had been detoured to Pentagon City Station are back on their regular routes....

By | September 11, 2008; 01:28 PM ET | Comments (12)

Arlington Streets Reopening

Arlington police report they have reopened South Eads and South Fern Streets, which were among the roadways closed this morning during the dedication ceremony at the Pentagon Memorial. Route 1 and Glebe Road also have reopened. All the Metrobuses diverted during the morning closing of the Pentagon Transit Center are back on their regular routes now. Police have said they will reopen the roadways as soon as safety allows following the ceremony....

By | September 11, 2008; 12:24 PM ET | Comments (0)

I-395 Southbound Lanes Reopen

Arlington police report that the main lanes of I-395 southbound have reopened to traffic. They were closed temporarily during President Bush's visit to the Pentagon Memorial dedication ceremony....

By | September 11, 2008; 11:50 AM ET | Comments (0)

Reopening of 395 Lanes Delayed Slightly

Arlington police report that the reopening of the I-395 lanes has been delayed till about 11:15 a.m. because of the ceremony dedicating the Pentagon Memorial. The HOV lanes are open southbound now. The regular lanes on 395 will reopen after President Bush leaves the dedication....

By | September 11, 2008; 10:15 AM ET | Comments (0)

Update From Pentagon City Station

Post staff writer Mark Berman reports that the late rush hour is still going pretty smoothly at Pentagon City Station despite the detour of so many buses from the Pentagon Transit Center, which is closed this morning because of the memorial ceremony. Metro employees on the scene attribute that to the savvy of Pentagon commuters and the fact that traffic and transit alerts have been going out for days. Berman said at 8:40 a.m. that bus and rail operations remain very active but orderly. There seems to be some thining out in the number of people waiting to ask questions of the Metro employees near the bus stops on Hayes Street. There was a steady stream of people getting off the diverted buses and heading into the Metrorail station for the trip to Pentagon Station, which has remained open for rail service. But it wasn't overly crowded on the street...

By | September 11, 2008; 08:33 AM ET | Comments (1)

Smooth Operations at Pentagon City Station

Post reporter Mark Berman is at Pentagon City Station, where the buses detoured from the closed Pentagon Transit Center are stopping this morning. Many people have changed their commuting pattern for the day in response to the warnings about the road closings, detours and traffic congestion. Metro employees are on Hayes Street giving advice to lines of commuters who need information about the schedules, routes and stops, Berman said at 8 a.m. Buses are lining the east side of Hayes street from 12th to 15th streets, but the operations are orderly, he said. One commuter from Alexandria who works in the Navy Annex and normally takes Metro to Pentagon City and then a shuttle to the annex told Berman that she was amazed the commute so far was no worse than usual. She had expected gridlock. Another commuter, Gordon Rogers, 58, of Arlington, said "The Metro part of this seems...

By | September 11, 2008; 07:55 AM ET | Comments (0)

Metrorail Operating Normal Schedule

The schedule change for transit today had to do with Metrobuses, not Metrorail. So far this morning, there are no significant delays on the trains. Metrorail is operating on its normal peak period schedule. (Check here for Metro's service advisories.) Why no more trains or extra cars, given that we're all advising commuters to take transit rather than drive through the Pentagon area congestion this morning? Metro can't add any capacity to the six-car trains it already operates during peak service on the Blue and Yellow lines, says transit authority spokesman Steven Taubenkibel. Extra cars and trains draw more juice from the third rail. As Metro adds to its 830-car fleet, it is working on upgrading the power system along the lines so they can handle the added draw of additional cars. The big change today was the switch of all Metrobuses that normally use the Pentagon Transit Center over...

By | September 11, 2008; 07:03 AM ET | Comments (0)

Many Bus Routes Shifted

Metrobus, which has switched stops from the Pentagon Transit Center to Pentagon City Metro station this morning, isn't the only agency making detours because of the Sept. 11 memorial dedication ceremony. DASH Buses AT3, AT4: Riders who usually use the Pentagon Transit Center will be redirected to the Braddock Road Metro station. Normal service will resume at the Pentagon Transit Center in the afternoon. Buses heading toward Braddock Road Station will stop at designated stops on the opposite side of the street from buses that normally operate to the Pentagon. OmniRide: All morning buses will operate service only to Metro stations. On the eastern side of Prince William County, service will operate to the Franconia-Springfield Station. From the Manassas area, service will operate to West Falls Church Station. Riders will pay the Metro Direct fare of $2.50 cash or $2.10 with a SmarTrip card. Mid-day buses will depart from the...

By | September 11, 2008; 06:17 AM ET | Comments (0)

Traffic Update: HOV Lanes Reverse Early Today

To ease traffic congestion in the area around the Pentagon Memorial dedication today, the Virginia Department of Transportation says it will reverse the I-95/395 HOV lanes from northbound to southbound earlier than usual. The I-95/395 HOV lanes will close to northbound traffic between 9:30 and 10 a.m. The lanes will re-open to southbound traffic by 11 a.m. The HOV lanes typically close to northbound traffic on weekdays at 11 a.m., and re-open to southbound traffic at 1 p.m. VDOT suggests that drivers use alternative routes such as Route 301 or Route 17 to avoid congestion, and of course, take Metrorail....

By | September 11, 2008; 05:55 AM ET | Comments (0)

So Far, So Good Along I-395

At 5:30 a.m., traffic is light along the I-395 corridor near the Pentagon, where the dedication of the Sept. 11 memorial is scheduled to take place this morning. But with so many roads closed off, that's likely to change. Click for larger map. (Arlington Police) Police and traffic managers are advising commuters to avoid driving through the area and to take transit or telecommute instead. The Pentagon Transit Center is closed this morning. The Metrobuses that normally stop there are going instead to the Pentagon City Metro station. There's no parking at the Pentagon South Parking Lot. The North Parking Lot is open. Drivers in Northern Virginia and Maryland, pay attention to the electronic message boards. State officials say they plan to use them to advise on traffic conditions around the Pentagon. Metrorail is operating on a normal schedule this morning. (The transit authority says it isn't able to add...

By | September 11, 2008; 05:26 AM ET | Comments (0)

Reminder on Thursday Traffic

If you work in the Pentagon-Crystal City area, Thursday would be a grand day to telecommute. The road closings from 3 a.m. to about 1 p.m. around the Pentagon Memorial dedication are likely to jam up commuter traffic. Here's a summary of what you will face. Click for larger map. (Arlington Police) Widespread Impact: The road closings for the dedication of the Pentagon Memorial tomorrow are likely to result in heavy congestion across a wide area. Many access points along crowded Interstate 395 are involved. Virginia commuters use these routes to reach the Pentagon, Crystal City and Washington. Maryland commuters flow in from New York Avenue and I-295 to reach the Southeast-Southwest Freeway and the 14th Street Bridge. Take Transit: But Metrorail will operate on its usual schedule. Metro cannot add any rush-period service. Parking at the stations is likely to be very tight. Metrobus: There may be some disruption...

By | September 10, 2008; 01:12 PM ET | Comments (0)

Judiciary Square Station Reopened

The transit authority says the Red Line's Judiciary Square Station has reopened after a half-hour shutdown that started at 11:30 a.m. Metro Transit Police were investigating a suspicious item at the kiosk near the F Street entrance, which turned out to contain nothing harmful. During the shutdown, trains passed through the station without stopping. Meanwhile, transit police and other law enforcement agencies have stepped up security around and in the system this week, as we approach the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks....

By | September 10, 2008; 12:32 PM ET | Comments (0)

Plans Still Evolving for Thursday Closures

The road closings around the Pentagon on Thursday are now scheduled to begin at 3 a.m. They will be lifted at 1 p.m. if conditions permit, Arlington police say. Drivers today should be seeing alerts about Thursday's commute on the variable message signs along I-95/395 and the Capital Beltway, among other places. Click to see latest map. (Arlington Police Department) The street closures, which will be done to provide security and access for the the invitation-only dedication of the Pentagon Memorial on Thursday morning, are quite extensive and will occur in a sector of I-395 that is congested even under normlal circumstances during rush periods. Police and Virginia traffic managers are advising commuters to avoid the area, especially between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Metrorail is a better option than driving through the zone. All stations will be open. The trains will be running on their regular schedule Thursday morning. Buses...

By | September 9, 2008; 08:42 AM ET | Comments (11)

Afternoon Alerts for Commuters

From Metro: Metrorail riders who usually enter the McPherson Square Station were delayed briefly this afternoon following a telephone threat to the station at 3:50 p.m., the transit authority says. Transit Police responded and were not able to identify any danger to riders. An unattended package was discovered inside the station, but it contained nothing harmful. Trains continued to stop in the station to let passengers off the trains, but no riders were allowed to enter the station until the package was deemed safe at 4:27 p.m., Metro says. From VRE: In a 5:29 p.m. update, VRE says the disabled freight train causing the congestion is now on the move. VRE does not expect any further delays this evening. A CSX train had become disabled between L'Enfant and Crystal City, creating a one track railroad. MARC's New Schedule: Don't miss your advernoon train. Here's a link to the full list...

By | September 8, 2008; 03:47 PM ET | Comments (0)

Traffic Alert for Thursday

The national event of the week will also be our traffic event of the week: Thursday morning's dedication for the Pentagon Memorial is likely to disrupt travel over a wide area. Click for larger map of road closures. (Arlington Police Department) Arlington police will block many major roads near the Pentagon during the morning and early afternoon. See a map here. The schedule calls for these points to be closed from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Washington Boulevard eastbound at Interstate 395 and Columbia Pike and westbound at Memorial Bridge, I-395 and Hayes Street; southbound I-395 to the Pentagon south parking lot; and Columbia Pike from Joyce Street to the Pentagon south parking. I-395 northbound HOV will have no access to Washington Boulevard. Police say these roads will be closed at 3 a.m. and reopened when conditions permit: South Fern Street from Army Navy Drive to the Pentagon; South Eads...

By | September 8, 2008; 08:23 AM ET | Comments (10)

Getting Around in the Storm

Bay Bridge Wind restrictions are in effect this afternoon. House trailers, empty box trailers and other vehicles subject to strong winds are prohibited from crossing. Call 877-BAYSPAN (229-7726) for bridge traffic conditions, or call up baybridge.com and see the traffic camera views. DC Towing From the District Department of Transportation: Vehicles that impede city crews from removing downed trees or debris that block streets will be moved. Their owners will not be fined, but parking regulations will be enforced for illegally parked vehicles. Drivers who think their vehicle has been towed or to confirm the location of a vehicle, should call 311 or go to www.dpw.dc.gov, click on "Parking Enforcement Services" then "Towing and Impoundment" to use DPW's online Towed Vehicle Locator. They also can contact the District's Towing Control Dispatch Center at 202-576-6071. On the Roads See our traffic page for incident reports and camera views across the Washington...

By | September 6, 2008; 12:19 PM ET | Comments (0)

The Weekend and Beyond

Tropical Storm The National Weather Service has issued a tropical storm warning for Saturday, saying we should expect gusty winds as well as heavy rain and flooding. The region's highway and transit departments have been making preparations to keep the roads and rails operating. If any of the weekend events I've listed below are cancelled, I'll post that here. Track the storm with our Capital Weather Gang reports. Metrorail Weekend Delays Track maintenance on the Red, Blue and Orange lines this weekend will cause delays while trains share single tracks to get around the work zones. When traveling on the Red Line between Friendship Heights and Medical Center, add 20 minutes to your schedule for the track maintenance, which scheduled to start at 10 p.m. Friday and continue until midnight Sunday. Every other Red Line train in the direction of Shady Grove will terminate at Friendship Heights and return to...

By | September 5, 2008; 01:51 PM ET | Comments (0)

Metro Prepares for Saturday Storm

The transit authority, like many of our other transportation systems, is announcing preparations for dealing with Tropical Storm Hannah when it reaches the Washington area on Saturday. Flooding is the issue for public transit as well as for the highway departments. The third rail can't supply power to the trains if water reaches the rail's level. And of course, Metrobuses and MetroAccess vehicles depend on passable streets. Metro workers have placed more than 2,500 sand bags at stations with a history of flooding: Cleveland Park, King Street, Southern Avenue, Navy Yard, Federal Triangle, Stadium-Armory, Foggy Bottom-GWU and Largo. The transit authority says Smithsonian also has sometimes had water run off from the National Mall into the station through vent shafts. Crews also are checking the drains in the stations and the yards. Metrobus street supervisors will be watching for drainage problems so they can alert the operations center. The buses...

By | September 5, 2008; 11:43 AM ET | Comments (1)

Metro GM Doing Online Chat Today

John B. Catoe Jr., Metro's general manager, is scheduled to do an online discussion today at noon on Metro's Web site. Here's a link to his discussion page, where you can post a question or comment in advance....

By | September 5, 2008; 10:41 AM ET | Comments (0)

Traffic Alert: Avoid 14th Street Downtown

A hotel fire closed a key intersection in downtown Washington this morning. The fire shut 14th Street NW at the Pennsylvania Avenue intersection. The District Department of Transportation advised drivers to avoid 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue between 13th and 15th streets NW. And watch for delays on both 14th Street and the 14th Street Bridge. At 9 a.m., the DDOT traffic camera at 14th Street and Maine Avenue shows very heavy traffic heading northbound off the 14th Street Bridge. (See our Traffic Page for map and camera views.)...

By | September 5, 2008; 08:47 AM ET | Comments (0)

Bay Bridge Update

Testing of the parapet on the left side of the eastbound span is done. The inspectors found some corrosion of reinforcing steel bolts in the concrete barrier and repairs are underway, says the Maryland Transportation Authority. The left lane on the eastbound span remains closed. This is the schedule for two-way traffic on what is normally the westbound span: -- Monday through Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. -- Thursday and Friday, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. -- Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. -- As needed, Monday through Saturday, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., during full closures of the eastbound span. The idea is to give commuters three westbound lanes during the morning rush and accommodate people returning from the Eastern Shore on the weekend while round-the-clock repairs continue on the eastbound span. But this situation is far from ideal. Many of the accidents on...

By | September 3, 2008; 11:06 AM ET | Comments (1)

VDOT Working on Beltway Ramp

To ease congestion, the Virginia Department of Transportation is adding another lane to the ramp from Route 7 in Falls Church onto the inner loop of the Capital Beltway. This involves reconfiguring the westbound lanes of Route 7 at the intersection with Magarity Road in Falls Church. The work is scheduled to be done on Nov. 20. In the meantime, watch for occasional lane closings through the area during off-peak hours.The $429,992 project also involves construction of a sidewalk, curb, gutter and pedestrian fence for safety. The Metrobus stop for routes 28A, B and T at the intersection is temporarily unavailable. The nearest stop is to the east, across from Marshall High School....

By | September 3, 2008; 09:43 AM ET | Comments (0)

The Weekend and Beyond

Some advice on your upcoming travels and other transportation issues: Fare Increase Hearings Six public hearings will be held in September on a potential fare increase for commuters and local passengers on PRTC buses, which serve Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park. Ridership, like the price of diesel fuel, has been surging. Eight new commuter bus trips have been added since May. Now, PRTC is trying to close a projected $1.6 million budget gap. Proposals call for higher fares by the end of the year and creation of a fare indexing policy to guide future increases. Two of the hearings are scheduled for next week: 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, at Manassas City Hall, 9027 Center St.; 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, at the PRTC Transit Center, 14700 Potomac Mills Rd., Woodbridge. VRE Trainspotting The Web site for the Virginia Railway Express can help riders decide...

By | August 29, 2008; 11:16 AM ET | Comments (0)

The Weekend and Beyond

Some advice and suggestions for your upcoming travels: Weekend Getaways People heading to the Eastern Shore for summer's last gasps can get the latest on Chesapeake Bay Bridge traffic by calling 877-BAYSPAN or by checking the Bay Bridge Web site. The Web site information includes camera views of the toll plaza. Closing on Route 28 On Monday, Aug. 25, the Virginia Department of Transportation plans to close the Park Center Road entrance and exit on northbound Route 28. Park Center Road has provided access to an industrial and commercial area on the east side of Route 28 between McLearen and Frying Pan Roads. But VDOT says the turn lane in and out of Park Center Road does not meet standards for ramps on a limited access highway. In addition, VDOT says, the construction at Frying Pan Road includes a ramp and deceleration lane extending into Park Center Road. Forest Glen...

By | August 22, 2008; 11:10 AM ET | Comments (2)

The Weekend and Beyond

Some advice for your travels this weekend and during the rest of the month: Metrorail Delays Track maintenance on the Blue, Orange and Red lines this weekend will delay trains as they take turns on single tracks around the work zones. See the full details here on Metro's Web site. Remember if you use Metro's Trip Planner feature on the transit authority's home page that Trip Planner doesn't factor in the weekend delays. Huntington Garage Open Metro has opened a six-level, 1,424-space parking garage at Huntington Station on the Yellow Line. The $31.1 million garage, which took two years to build, is part of a development at the station that includes residential, commercial and office space. E Street Expressway The District Department of Transportation is repairing the ramp leading from the E Street Expressway to westbound Interstate 66. The single-lane ramp is scheduled to reopen by Aug. 25. Detour: Go...

By | August 15, 2008; 11:52 AM ET | Comments (15)

Eastbound Bridge Lane Reopens

5 P.M. Update: The Maryland Transportation Authority announced the right lane of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge's eastbound span has reopened, and the lengthy delays have cleared. The lane had been closed since a tractor trailer crashed through the side barrier and fell into the bay on Sunday morning, killing the driver. During the closure, transportation authority police performed an accident reconstruction while workers repaired the bridge. The left lane of the eastbound span reopened to eastbound traffic at 8:20 p.m. Sunday. Get the latest on the traffic by calling 877-BAYSPAN or go to the Bay Bridge Web site....

By | August 11, 2008; 09:24 AM ET | Comments (2)

Intercounty Connector Advancing

A road in northern Silver Spring will permanently close today as the eastern side of the $2.4 billion intercounty connector highway program develops. Map of Dogwood Drive closure. (SHA) The Maryland State Highway Administration is shutting off a section of Dogwood Drive at Briggs Chaney Road in northern Silver Spring. People who have been using Dogwood Drive will be detoured to Gateshead Manor Way and then Aston Manor Drive to reach Briggs Chaney Road. Drivers on both sides of Route 29 can now see staging areas for construction of the connector. As work begins on "Contract C" between Old Columbia Pike and I-95, the Dogwood Drive section is closing to make way for construction of a bridge over the connector at Briggs Chaney Road. The connector, scheduled to open in 2011, will link I-370/I-270 in Montgomery County with I-95 and U.S. Route 1 in Prince George's County....

By | August 11, 2008; 06:05 AM ET | Comments (9)

Maryland Plans to Fix New Beltway Ramp

The Maryland State Highway Administration has announced a plan to ease congestion on its new ramp from the Capital Beltway to southbound Branch Avenue (Route 5). The ramp, centerpiece of a $52 million reconstruction of that busy interchange in Prince George's County, has troubled drivers since it opened last Friday. The ramp lanes will no longer merge here, before Branch Avenue. (Thomson) The fix: By Monday morning, both the inner and outer loop ramps will have their own lanes extending onto southbound Branch Avenue. At the point where drivers merge onto Branch Avenue, it will consist of two through lanes and two ramp lanes. All four lanes will continue beyond the end of the ramp for about a half mile, where the outside lane will drop off and merge left near Linda Lane. For that new setup to work, SHA will reduce southbound Branch Avenue from three through lanes to...

By | August 8, 2008; 01:56 PM ET | Comments (3)

The Weekend and Beyond

Some travel tips for the weekend, and information about upcoming events: Metrorail Delays Switch replacement work on the Red Line at Friendship Heights and track maintenance on the Orange and Green lines will create delays as trains share a single track to get around the work zones. See the details here on Metro's Web site. Metro managers are developing plans to better organize the maintenance work and get more of it done on weeknights, but there's still likely to be weekend work involving projects that can't be cleaned up in time for morning rush hours. Switch replacements are an example. Bus Detours Some Saturday events in the District will force detours on a few Metrobus routes. See the details here. Redskins Game Saturday It's at 7 p.m. at FedEx Field in Landover, just off the Capital Beltway. Taking Metro to games is always a good idea, but note that this...

By | August 8, 2008; 12:33 PM ET | Comments (2)

Weekend Detours on Route 29 in Prince William

Sumerduck, Va.: I saw one of those flashing signs that said the intersection of Rt 15 and 29 in Gainesville would be closed starting 8/9. What does that mean exactly -- that we can't get onto 15 there? Where can I find out information on this? Also saw signs saying roundabouts are coming. Ugh! Thanks. Here's the answer to that question I couldn't get to during Monday's online discussion. Southbound Route 29 in western Prince William County will be closed on three weekends in August and September so the Virginia Department of Transportation can install a new deck on the bridge over Broad Run in Buckland. The bridge is about a half-mile southwest of Route 15 near the Fauquier County line. The detour around the work could add as much as a half hour to travel times for southbound motorists. But northbound traffic on Route 29 is not affected by...

By | August 5, 2008; 06:26 AM ET | Comments (15)

Temporary Closures in Foggy Bottom

Around the big construction site off Washington Circle and near Foggy Bottom Station: Construction plans at the 2200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW site of the old George Washington Hospital call for controlled blasting on some weekdays starting this month. This is not unusual in excavations, but precautions are taken to ensure safety. Effect on travelers: Sidewalks will be closed for brief periods before and during each blast.Temporary street closures may also occur immediately preceding a blast depending on its location. You can read more details about the construction here....

By | August 4, 2008; 08:38 AM ET | Comments (0)

Detours Start on Two Commuter Routes

Drivers will find detours in place today on the E Street Expressway in the District and the Clara Barton Parkway in Montgomery County where ramps are closed for repair. E Street Expressway The District Department of Transportation is beginning repairs to the ramp leading from the expressway to westbound I-66 on Monday. The repairs are scheduled to take about three weeks. All the bridge joints will be replaced and the deck will be reconditioned with a concrete overlay. Detour: Follow directions to the northbound Potomac River Freeway, then go left onto 27th Street NW, then make an immediate left onto southbound Potomac River Freeway, then get onto westbound I-66. Clara Barton Parkway Maryland's State Highway Administration is closing and repairing the bridge that takes westbound traffic from the parkway onto the southbound Capital Beltway heading for Virginia. Drivers will use a detour for about 10 weeks. The diversion should add...

By | August 4, 2008; 05:37 AM ET | Comments (5)

The Weekend and Beyond

Some advice for your upcoming travels: Metrorail Delays Switch replacement work at Friendship Heights on the Red Line and track maintenance on the Blue and Yellow lines this weekend will cause inbound and outbound trains to take turns sharing one track. For full details, follow this link to Metro's Web site. Inbound and outbound trains between Medical Center and Van Ness will share a single track from 9 o'clock tonight to the train system's midnight closing on Sunday. That will add at least 20 minutes to trips. Metrorail customers traveling between the Van Dorn Street and Braddock Road Metrorail stations should add at least 20 minutes of travel time for their trips because of track maintenance. Trains will share a track between Van Dorn Street and Braddock Road from 11 o'clock to the 3 o'clock closing on Saturday morning, then again from from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday and...

By | August 1, 2008; 11:36 AM ET | Comments (0)

New Beltway Ramp Opening

The Maryland State Highway Administration plans to open a new flyover ramp Friday morning from the Capital Beltway's inner loop to southbound Branch Avenue. Watch for variable message boards that will guide drivers through the new traffic pattern. Branch Avenue (Route 5) is one of the most heavily traveled commuter routes in Prince George's County. Near the Beltway, it averages more than 122,000 vehicles per day. The new ramp, which should be open by 5 a.m. Friday, was built to ease congestion and eliminate the difficult merge at the Branch Avenue/Beltway interchange. The ramp is part of a $52 million reconstruction of the interchange that began in March 2006 and is scheduled to be done by the end of this year....

By | July 31, 2008; 11:29 AM ET | Comments (1)

Beltway Speed Controls Tonight

Late-night drivers on the Capital Beltway in Virginia are likely to see the new Variable Speed Limit system in action around midnight as utility crews replace power lines across the highway. Both the inner and outer loops will be stopped for about 15 minutes between the Telegraph Road interchange and the Eisenhower Connector so the crews can work safely. (Project map) When the speed-control system, operated by the Wilson Bridge project, detects that traffic is slowing and stopping, the speed limits approaching the work zone will be lowered. Watch the new electronic speed limit signs. The intention is to reduce the likelihood that drivers will slam on the brakes when they see the tail lights ahead. When the power-line work is done, all lanes will reopen. Once the traffic backup has cleared, the speed limits will revert to normal. The speed control system is in place along the seven miles...

By | July 30, 2008; 04:56 PM ET | Comments (2)

The Weekend and Beyond

Some tips on weekend travel and upcoming traffic and transit issues: Rail Delays Metrorail's weekend work schedule will cause delays of at least 20 minutes on the Orange, Blue and Yellow lines during Saturday and Sunday. The full details are here on Metro's Web site. Event Detour Saturday evening's Crystal City Twilighter 5K race through through Crystal City and the Pentagon South Parking lot will cause some Metrobus detours from 6 to 10 p.m. The routes affected are 7A, 7F, 9A, 10A, 16B, 16J, 23A, 25A. Wilson Bridge Project Watch for temporary lane closures on Route 1 between Fort Hunt Road and Franklin Street in Alexandria on Saturday from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Franklin Street at Route 1 will also be closed. In addition, from mid-afternoon to 9 p.m., the ramp from the Beltway's inner loop to northbound Route 1 will be closed. Full details are here on the...

By | July 25, 2008; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (0)

The Weekend and Beyond

Here are some travel advisories for this weekend. You'll also find some information about transportation issues coming up in the weeks ahead. Metrorail Weekend Delays Track maintenance may significantly delay travel this weekend on the Blue and Yellow lines. Trains share a single track to get around the work zone and proceed at 10 mph through the area to protect the workers. See the full details here on Metro's Web site. Red Line Parking Lots The Shady Grove Metrorail station's West Kiss & Ride Lot will be closed Saturday to prepare for the resurfacing of the lot. This shouldn't hurt too much, because it's just 20 spaces and will be open again on Sunday, according to the schedule. At Grosvenor Station, the surface parking lot is scheduled to be closed this weekend for maintenance. That's 412 spaces shut off, but the station has a grand total of 1,894. New Metro...

By | July 18, 2008; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (3)

Free Buses on Friday

Forecasters say Friday will be a Code Red day for air quality, which means most buses in the suburbs will be free. The District does not participate in the program, designed to encourage people to leave their cars at home and take transit, to help reduce pollution. While Code Red forecasts are not what we want, since they indicate the day's air is likely to contain unhealthy levels of ozone, they do present a chance to try a bus and see if it might work for you on other days as well. At CommuterPage.com, you'll find a list of the region's bus services, along with more helpful information on transit use. What a Code Red forecast means: Don't run to the bus stop. Children, the elderly and people with heart or respiratory ailments, emphysema, asthma or chronic bronchitis should reduce outdoor activities. Healthy people should limit strenuous outdoor work or...

By | July 17, 2008; 04:00 PM ET | Comments (22)

Heat Restrictions on MARC

MARC commuter trains will have the slows this afternoon. Heat restrictions are in effect for the Brunswick and Camden Lines, the Maryland Transit Administration says. Commuters should plan on 10 to 15 minute delays. Here's the MARC train tracker page. Heat restrictions are imposed on the lines by their owner, CSX, on hot summer days when concerns rise that the rails might develop kinks. Such kinks have led to derailments. The heat orders are not the only issues that delay MARC riders. This has been a pretty typical summer for slowdowns caused by equipment failures and stalled CSX freight trains. Meanwhile, ridership demands are increasing as people take to the trains to avoid the rising gas prices. The MTA says the average daily ridership on MARC's three lines -- Camden, Brunswick and Penn -- was 32,604 in May, up 6 percent from May 2007. MARC is looking to increase parking...

By | July 16, 2008; 01:50 PM ET | Comments (0)

Traffic Advisory for Gainesville

Here's what's coming for Route 29 and Interstate 66 drivers, as part of the I-66 reconstruction project. From midnight tonight to 2 p.m. Wednesday: Northbound Route 29 between Heathcote Boulevard and Route 55 will be closed for bridge demolition. Detour: Southbound traffic will turn left at the Heathcote light to use the Interstate 66 ramp, then return to southbound Route 29. Northbound Route 29 traffic will be detoured to the closed lanes on the southbound side, then use the median crossover just beyond the bridges to return to northbound Route 29. Same time period: The I-66 eastbound ramp to northbound Route 29 (Exit 43B East) will be closed for the bridge demolition. Detour: Drivers who would normally take Exit 43B should use Exit 43A instead and make the designated U-turn to get back on the northbound side. From midnight Thursday to 2 p.m. Friday (July 17-18): Southbound Route 29 between...

By | July 15, 2008; 02:35 PM ET | Comments (0)

The Weekend and Beyond

Some tips for getting around this weekend, and next week: Metrorail Delays Track maintenance on the Blue and Yellow lines will cause lengthy delays on Saturday and Sunday, because trains be sharing a single track to get around the work zones. See the full description here. DC United/Nationals on Saturday They're both playing at home. The Nats game starts at 7:10 p.m. D.C. United starts at 8 p.m. That means the shift is on for parking at RFK Stadium. Nats fans, who normally park for free at Lot 8 and take the free Nats Express to Nationals Park, should park in Lot 7 and catch the shuttle there. Lot 7 is on the north side of RFK, and can be reached via the Whitney Young Bridge on East Capitol Street or Oklahoma Avenue NE. Traffic Delays in D.C. Several events are likely to cause some traffic congestion in Washington on...

By | July 11, 2008; 11:26 AM ET | Comments (128)

P.M. Delays Likely in Fairfax

Traffic congestion is likely to occur this afternoon around the site of the rally for Barack Obama at a public school in Fairfax County just south of George Mason University. Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, plans to hold a town hall meeting at Robinson Secondary School starting at 1:15 p.m and continuing till about 2:30 p.m. The Robinson Secondary School is at 5035 Sideburn Rd., south of Braddock Road. Watch for county police directing traffic in the area....

By | July 10, 2008; 10:37 AM ET | Comments (0)

The Weekend and Beyond

Some tips for this weekend and into early July: Baseball and Soccer on Sunday Both the Nationals and DC United are in town for Sunday games. The Nationals are playing the Orioles at Nationals Park, in what should be a very crowded game, starting at 1:35 p.m. D.C. United, hosting the Los Angeles Galaxy, will draw a big crowd to RFK at noon. The parking situation at RFK will be different: Nats fans still can park for free, but not at Lot 8, their usual spot on the south side of RFK. They can park for free in Lot 7, on the north side of RFK, and take the Nats Express to Nationals Park. But there may be delays. Best routes to Lot 7: Come off the Whitney Young (East Capitol Street) Bridge or off Oklahoma Avenue NE. The Nats Express shuttle starts up 90 minutes before game time. (See...

By | June 27, 2008; 11:35 AM ET | Comments (0)

Delays This Morning on I-66

A lane is scheduled to be closed this morning on westbound Interstate 66 at Lorcom Lane/Spout Run for tree maintenance. This is set to begin at 10 a.m. and last for no more than two hours, but traffic delays are likely....

By | June 27, 2008; 06:12 AM ET | Comments (0)

The Weekend and Beyond

Some developments affecting your travels this weekend and in the future: Some Free Fares If you're going to the Columbia Pike Blues Festival on Saturday, go by Metrobus. It's free on routes 16B, 16G and 16J to the festival, which goes from noon to 9 p.m. Arlington County wants people to attend and to take transit, so it's subsidizing the free rides. Bus transfers won't be issued except to riders boarding at Metrorail stations with a rail transfer or a SmarTrip card who need to make a subsequent bus-to-bus transfer. In that case, the driver will issue a free transfer, and the customer will not be required to pay the 35 or 45 cent rail-to-bus transfer charge. Metrobus Detours Some weekend events in the District and Arlington, including the blues festival, will require bus detours. You can see the events and the detours listed here on Metro's Web site. Metro...

By | June 20, 2008; 11:41 AM ET | Comments (0)

Big Delays on Bay Bridge

5 p.m. UPDATE: Eastbound span reopens. Traffic delays continue. All lanes of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge's eastbound span, which had been completely closed because of a crash involving four vehicles, are now open again. At this hour, three lanes of the bridge are operating eastbound and two lane are operating westbound. But the traffic is still backed up. Eastbound congestion starts around Exit 22, which is nine miles before the toll plaza. Westbound delays start around Exit 40, which is 3.5 miles from the bridge. You can see live traffic camera views here....

By | June 18, 2008; 04:06 PM ET | Comments (0)

RC Parkway Trail Closed for Construction

The hiker-biker trail along Rock Creek Parkway is closed for three days from Pennsylvania Avenue to the P Street ramp, in one of the final steps of the parkway reconstruction project. When it reopens on Saturday, the National Park Service says, that will complete major construction on the trail. For now, there are detour signs to direct walkers, hikers and bikers around the construction. The parkway reconstruction project, which began in April 2007, should be done by July, according to the Federal Highway Administration, which is doing the work for the park service. The original schedule called for completion in the spring, but the work affecting travelers is largely done now. The greatest delays for motorists occurred last year, and there was a time when drivers filled my mailbag with complaints about the parkway project. But that has not been the case in 2008. There still may be some short...

By | June 18, 2008; 08:16 AM ET | Comments (0)

Traffic Delays in Falls Church

Crews are repairing a 12-inch water main break at the intersection of Routes 7 and 29 in the City of Falls Church. It happened about 10:20 a.m., when a truck hit a fire hydrant, which in turn broke the water main. Eastbound Route 7 and southbound Route 29 are down to single lanes and city police are directing traffic. Falls Church expects the repairs will take until about 9 p.m....

By | June 17, 2008; 12:14 PM ET | Comments (0)

The Weekend and Beyond

Some things to know about getting around this weekend and later this month. District Events There are many street activities in Washington this weekend that could slow your travels. Karyn LeBlanc, spokeswoman for the District Department of Transportation, put out a list that includes: Capital Pride Festival, Pennsylvania Avenue NW, between 3rd and 7th Streets; 6th Street NW, between Constitution Avenue and C Street; Constitution Avenue between Pennsylvania Avenue and 3rd Street; 4th Street NW, between Pennsylvania Avenue and Madison. With the exception of 4th Street, streets will be closed from 12:01 a.m. Saturday until midnight Sunday. (Here's a link to our map of the Capital Pride events.) The 233rd Annual Army Birthday Ball, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The Army Birthday Ball has an eight motor coach shuttle operation and lots of VIPs. L Street from 7th to 9th streets NW will be closed from 3 p.m...

By | June 15, 2008; 09:29 AM ET | Comments (9)

MARC Restoring Some Camden Service

It won't feel like it to riders or train crews, but MARC is going with a "holiday" schedule this afternoon on the Camden Line, which was knocked out of service this morning when an oil truck caught fire over the tracks. These are the trains scheduled out of Union Station this afternoon: Train 846 at 4:13 p.m., 848 at 4:39 p.m., 852 at 5:51 p.m. and 856 at 7:35 p.m. Out of Baltimore: Trains 853 at 3:30 p.m. and 857 at 6:10 p.m. The tanker truck caught fire early this morning on the Hanover Street ramp near I-95 in downtown Baltimore. That shut the CSX tracks leading to Camden Station from MARC's Riverside Yard. Penn Line: Train 450 (normally the 5:10 out of Washington) has been canceled today. MARC says Baltimore bound riders should take Train 534. Riders going to New Carrollton and Seabrook or getting on at those stations...

By | June 10, 2008; 12:43 PM ET | Comments (0)

The Weekend and Beyond

The center of attention this weekend is the annual Race For The Cure in Washington, combined with the delays that will result from Metro's track work. Metrorail Delays This is the last scheduled weekend for the track switch replacement project at Mount Vernon Square that has been disrupting service on the Green and Yellow lines. But until Sunday night, riders should add at least a half hour to their usual travel times on those lines. More details here. Race For The Cure Metrorail will open at 5 a.m.Saturday to help out people involved in the race, which starts at 8 a.m. in downtown Washington. Trains will operate every 12 to 15 minutes on the Red, Blue and Orange lines, but watch out for the Yellow and Green lines. Add at least 30 minutes to normal travel times on those two because of the switch replacement project at Mount Vernon Square....

By | June 6, 2008; 04:33 PM ET | Comments (0)

MD Closing Route 50 Ramp

The Maryland State Highway Administration says it must close the ramp from eastbound Route 50 to northbound Route 202 for emergency repairs beginning at 5 p.m. The repairs, which are needed because of slope erosion caused by the storms, could take four weeks. Detour: Eastbound drivers wanting northbound Route 202 will go to Route 410 (East-West Highway). At the top of the ramp, they'll turn left onto Route 410 northbound, then cross over Route 50 and turn left to reach the ramp to westbound Route 50, then back to northbound Route 202. It's bound to be sluggish, so an alternate route is likely to be better than using the detour....

By | June 6, 2008; 04:15 PM ET | Comments (0)

More Work on GW Parkway

A new construction project is scheduled to start today on the George Washington Parkway. This work will stabilize the bank along Pimmit Run to protect the bridge pier from erosion. Watch for lane closures during off peak hours along the bridge, which is about a mile south of Route 123 in McLean. One lane in each direction will always be open. Closures of the right lane on the parkway's southbound side can occur between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. But traffic delays also will result when trucks enter and leave the parkway. The project is scheduled to be done in December. Meanwhile, work continues farther south on rebuilding the parkway's Humpback Bridge, just west of I-395. You can read the latest about that project here. So far, that doesn't seem to be causing commuters nearly as much grief as the year-old Rock Creek Parkway reconstruction has....

By | June 4, 2008; 07:37 AM ET | Comments (0)

The Weekend and Beyond

Wilson Bridge Avoid it this weekend. The inner loop will be shifted over to the new span, which should be in use by midday Sunda. But during the weekend work, expect long delays heading toward Virginia. Starting at 9 p.m. Friday, the inner loop will be squeezed down to a single lane. Drivers may recall a similar weekend back in 2006, when the bridge's first new span opened. Project managers remind us that the delays that weekend were up to 90 minutes, even though the total traffic volume was reduced by more than 80 percent because drivers heard the congestion warnings. Metrorail Track maintenance on the Green, Yellow, Orange, Blue and Red lines will cause delays Friday night through Sunday as trains share a single track around the work zones. Look here for details. The switch replacement at Mount Vernon Square, continuing to cause delays on the Green and Yellow...

By | May 30, 2008; 12:19 PM ET | Comments (0)

Dale Boulevard Reopening

The Virginia Department of Transportation announced this afternoon that it is reopening Dale Boulevard tonight. Crews worked 12 hour shifts through the holiday weekend to fix the damage done to this four-lane commuter route in Prince William County during the May 12 storms. Watch for occasional lane closures this week and next as crews restripe the lanes and install guardrails....

By | May 27, 2008; 04:23 PM ET | Comments (0)

Va. Commuter Route Under Repair

After such a beautiful holiday weekend, it's difficult to recall those torrential rains from earlier in the month, but commuters who use Dale Boulevard in Prince William County still are dealing with the consequences. The Virginia Department of Transportation says it expects that the four-lane boulevard, used by commuters getting to and from I-95, will be back in business by late this week. During the weekend, crews continued to repair the flood-damaged roadway, which suffered a 20 foot deep by 25 foot wide breach just west of Mapledale Avenue. Detours: Heading west, use Ridgefield Road to Prince William Parkway to Hoadly Road back to Dale Boulevard. Heading east, use Hoadly Road to Prince William Parkway to Ridgefield Road back to Dale....

By | May 27, 2008; 06:04 AM ET | Comments (0)

The Weekend and Beyond

Here's some travel advice for the holiday weekend and on into the summer. Road Work You won't see much of it this weekend. Maryland and Virginia pull up the orange barrels at their short term work sites for high-traffic holiday weekends. Don't take it as a sign of the summer to come. There will be plenty of construction, so stay alert in the work zones, which can be as dangerous for motorists as they are for construction crews. Rolling Thunder Some streets in Washington will be closed Sunday for the annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle parade, part of the Memorial Day weekend commemorations. The event is from noon to 3 p.m. Most of the street closings end as the procession rolls on. Here's a map of the route. It starts at the Pentagon parking lot, goes over Memorial Bridge and around the national mall. Memorial Day Parade On Monday, watch for...

By | May 23, 2008; 06:30 AM ET | Comments (5)

The Weekend and Beyond

Metro Track Work The four-weekend switch repair project at Mount Vernon Square on the Green and Yellow lines will take the Memorial Day weekend off, so riders won't have to worry about delays of more than half an hour next weekend. The work, which got started last weekend, resumes tonight and continues through Sunday night. Then it will begin again on May 30-June 1 and conclude on June 6-8. Andrews Air Show The annual air show at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George's County is this weekend. Visitors can park at FedEx Field and take shuttle buses into Andrews. Shuttles also will run from the Branch Avenue Metro station at the end of the Green Line. Here's a description of Metro's services to get you there and back. 11th Street SW Bridge The District on Mondayplans to start an 18-month rehabilitation project on part of the 11th Street SW...

By | May 16, 2008; 12:21 PM ET | Comments (33)

Watch for Wilson Bridge Traffic

Avoid the Wilson Bridge this morning. All the lanes are open, but lots of drivers are gawking at the setup for today's dedication ceremony on the new span. Camera views show very heavy traffic on both sides of the Beltway leading up to the bridge. Once drivers get past the bridge, traffic is fine. (Our traffic page includes camera views and incident reports.) The ceremony, dedicating the second span of the bridge, is scheduled for late this morning. Drivers on the already-opened span, which right now carries all of the Beltway traffic, won't be able to see the ceremony. They're looking at a bunch of tents, chairs and TV trucks. While the dedication ceremony is today, the new span won't open till the end of the month. There are no changes in traffic patterns today, just rubbernecking congestion. The dedication ceremony for the first new span also occured on a...

By | May 15, 2008; 09:06 AM ET | Comments (0)

New York Avenue Lanes Open

All the lanes on New York Avenue NE have reopened, the District Department of Transportation announced late this afternoon. Crews have completed repairs to the slope failure that began on Friday and the three lanes in the 1100 and 1200 blocks of the avenue are back in business....

By | May 11, 2008; 06:51 PM ET | Comments (1)

The Weekend and Beyond

The main events this weekend are the projects at the Wilson Bridge and on Metro's Green and Yellow lines at Mount Vernon Square. Both are likely to cause delays. But watch out also for the emergency storm sewer repair on New York Avenue NE. Metro Weekend Delays The switch replacement project at Mount Vernon Square, which will cause delays on the Green and Yellow lines, began at 11 p.m. Friday and continues through Sunday night. After this, the project has three more weekends to go: May 16-18, May 30-June 1 and June 6-8. (It's always Friday night through Sunday night.) Wilson Bridge The word has gone out up and down the East Coast about the construction work and resulting delays likely to occur this weekend, from Friday night through Sunday. (There was some concern about the weather, but that's looking better and the plan is a go.) Read the details...

By | May 9, 2008; 02:36 PM ET | Comments (2)

Awaiting Word on Wilson Bridge

[6:30 p.m. update: The weather is looking better, and the weekend project is a go.] Wilson Bridge project managers, who have scheduled a very active weekend for work on the Capital Beltway's outer loop between Springfield and the bridge, are watching the weather. They probably will make a final decision late this afternoon about whether to proceed. Under the current schedule, the outer loop would be reduced to one lane in the work zone starting at 9 o'clock tonight. Also, the four ramps to and from the outer loop at Route 1 would be closed and traffic detour. Similarly, the ramp from Telegraph Road northbound to the outer loop would close and a detour would be created. Early Saturday, according to the schedule, the ramp from I-95 northbound to the outer loop would close to divert traffic from the work zone. It would reopen when the traffic volume lessened, but...

By | May 9, 2008; 12:32 PM ET | Comments (0)

Emergency on NY Avenue NE

New York Avenue is likely to be a mess this weekend. The District Department of Transportation just issued this statement: At 10 o'clock this morning two inbound lanes on New York Avenue NE between Fairview Avenue and the 9th Street-Brentwood Parkway ramp closed indefinitely because of a broken storm sewer. Repairs will begin after the heavy rain leaves the area and crews can work. DDOT expects the inbound lanes will be closed throughout the weekend. I'll watch for updates and post them here. The storm sure made commuting difficult. VRE and MARC had many delayed trains and some cancellations. How was your trip? The weather should improve for the afternoon commute, as the rainfall tapers off. Watch our traffic page for updates on incidents across the region. You'll find the traffic camera views there, too....

By | May 9, 2008; 10:37 AM ET | Comments (1)

The Weekend and Beyond

Here are some travel tips for your weekend and the rest of May, when we'll have some big disruptions because of road and rail projects. Weekend Metro Delays The transit authority is doing track maintenance this weekend along the Orange and Blue lines, causing delays for riders. Full details are in this statement from Metro. But that's nothing compared to this next one. New Metrorail Project The transit authority is planning a switch replacement project at Mount Vernon Square that will slow travel on the Green and Yellow lines during four weekends this month and next, including two when people will be traveling to games at Nationals Park. The $475,000 project, which stems from a recommendation made by the National Transportation Safety Board following a derailment at the station, is scheduled to begin next weekend. The work will start Friday night and continue through Sunday. The other weekends are May...

By | May 2, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (15)

The Weekend and Beyond

Some tips that might improve your travels. Metro Delays Track maintenance will cause delays on the Orange and Blue lines Friday night through Sunday. See the full details in this Metro statement. Have you weekend riders noticed improvements in your travels as Metro tries to make the maintenance work more tolerable? The idea is to concentrate the work and not overburden any one line. Frederick Ramps Closing At 9 o'clock Sunday night, highway workers are scheduled to close the entrance and exit ramps from eastbound Interstate 70 onto South Street (Exit 55). Workers are installing a water main under South Street as part of a $93 million interchange and highway extension project along I-70 that is scheduled to be done in fall 2009. Use exit 54 (Route 355/85) or exit 56 (Route 144) as alternate routes during the ramp closures. The ramps should reopen by 5 a.m. Monday. Hand Grips...

By | April 25, 2008; 06:25 AM ET | Comments (12)

The Weekend and Beyond

Here are some tips that might help you plan your travels. Beltway Delays Drivers should avoid the Capital Beltway around the Branch Avenue interchange from Saturday night until early Sunday afternoon, as the Maryland State Highway Administration sets steel for a ramp over the highway. Delays are likely to be extensive. If you're traveling long distance, consider using the western side of the Beltway or heading east to Route 301. Douglass Bridge Closure After initial tests on the South Capitol Street bridge's swing span Friday evening, the District Department of Transportation has decided that more testing in necessary. So the bridge will close again at 10 p.m. Saturday and is scheduled to reopen by 5 a.m. Sunday. Track Work Resumes After a month off for busy local travel periods, Metro has restarted its endless weekend track maintenance program. Delays are occurring on the Red, Blue, Yellow and Orange lines through...

By | April 19, 2008; 12:28 PM ET | Comments (0)

Rock Creek Paving Planned

The National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration are in the final phase of the year-long reconstruction of Rock Creek Parkway between P Street and Virginia Avenue. This weekend is the scheduled time for some repaving along the southbound curb lane and ramps. The curb lane is scheduled to close after noon today. The P Street ramps, the K Street ramps and the Pennsylvania Avenue ramp along the southbound parkway are scheduled to close during the afternoon rush period. The ramps should be reopened by 6:30 Monday morning. The right lane is scheduled to reopen by late Tuesday. Three travel lanes will be open both northbound and southbound during the paving operations, the park service says. (This is the work originally scheduled for last weekend.) The entire project is scheduled for completion in May....

By | April 18, 2008; 11:10 AM ET | Comments (4)

Sports Meet Traffic Today and Friday

This may be a bit more of a challenge than navigating to, or through, the first two games at the new baseball stadium: This evening, we have three sports events in Washington; and on Friday evening, two. Tonight, it's Nats at Nationals Park, DC United at RFK Stadium and Wizards at Verizon Center. Something important for Nats fans: The free parking at RFK will move from Lot 8 to Lot 7 on Wednesday night, and whenever the Nats and DC United overlap. So DC United fans will be using the RFK access road to Lot 8. The Nats recommend that baseball fans reach Lot 7 by taking either the Whitney Young (East Capitol Street) Bridge or Oklahoma Avenue. The free Nationals Express shuttle will meet baseball fans at Lot 7. Transit Users: Metro did very well on Monday night, but only the Nats were playing. Today and Friday will be...<