Crowds in Arlington, Virginia, for Wreaths Across America on Saturday and Red Line single-tracking on Sunday are among potential traffic issues this weekend.
Around Arlington National Cemetery, parking and auto access restrictions will be in place from about 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Drivers will not be allowed to access Memorial Bridge from the southbound George Washington Parkway or northbound Route 110. Other lane closures are expected along Interstate 395, the GW Parkway and on the Pentagon Reservation.
Closures (except for shuttle buses and local residents) also include part of Marshall Drive, Meade Street and Memorial Avenue from Memorial Circle to the cemetery entrance.
“Motorists are reminded that parking on the shoulder of Rt. 110 is strictly prohibited,” Arlington County police said in a statement. “Stopping or standing in the travel lanes to discharge or pick up passengers is also prohibited, and police officers will be patrolling along Rt. 110 to address observed violations of applicable traffic laws.”
The Arlington Cemetery Metro station is typically extremely crowded during the event due to its convenience. Those who are able to walk may want to consider using the Rosslyn or Pentagon stations.
Those who choose to take Uber, Lyft or other ride-hailing services are asked to use a designated drop-off and pick-up zone in the Hayes Lot at 549 Army Navy Drive near Pentagon City, then walk to the cemetery’s South Gate. The walk is similar to the distance from the Pentagon Metro station.
Due in part to the event, there is no Metro track work scheduled during the day Saturday.
Starting at 10 p.m. Saturday and all day Sunday, there is Red Line single-tracking between Friendship Heights and Medical Center. Trains are scheduled every 16 minutes Sunday, with additional trains during the day between Van Ness and Glenmont.
Other delays this weekend could include traffic around holiday light events.
And, unless a large contingent of Eagles fans turn out, there may not be any major issues around the Redskins game at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Bus changes start Sunday
Changes start Sunday for 28 Metrobus routes across the D.C. region.
Routes with changes are:
- D.C.: 30N, 30S, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 39, 54, W2, W3
- Maryland: 83, 86, C8, D12, D13, D14, J4, NH2
- Virginia: 3Y, 7Y, 10A, 10B, 16Y, 18J, 18P, 21D, 38B, NH2
Routes with schedule changes to add time to reflect regular traffic jams so the buses are more likely to be on time are:
- D.C.: 30N, 30S, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, W2, W3
- Maryland: 83, 86, C8, D12, D13, D14, J4
New additional rush-hour service is being added on Route 3Y Lee Highway-Farragut Square with six extra trips inbound in the morning and outbound in the afternoon.
In addition, Routes 30N, 30S, 32, 34, 36 and 39 will now run across the National Mall on Fourth Street instead of Seventh Street NW when they are headed westbound.
Route 39 will no longer stop at Independence Avenue and First Street SW when headed eastbound, Independence Avenue and Washington Avenue SW headed westbound, or Seventh Street and Jefferson Drive SW headed westbound.
Route 39 will now stop at Independence Avenue and Third Street SW headed eastbound, and Independence Avenue and Fourth Street SW headed westbound.
Routes W2 and W3 will now run on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE between Howard Road and Sumner Road, rather than running on Firth Sterling Avenue SE. Afternoon trips that end at Mellon Street will now extend to the Anacostia Metro station.
Route 7Y afternoon trips out to Lincolnia/North Fairlington and Route 16Y afternoon trips to Columbia Pike will now start in D.C. at 13th and H streets NW.
Metro Route 18J (Orange Hunt) will lose its 6:15 a.m. southbound trip from the Pentagon, a couple of trips will be canceled from the 18P (Burke Centre), and a couple of trips will be canceled on the 21D (Landmark-Bren Mark Park-Pentagon) due to the opening of the 395 Express Lanes.
Routes 18J and 18P have not run for nearly two months due to the ongoing strike at Metro’s privatized Cinder Bed Road garage.
Though most of the canceled routes remain out of service, private operator Transdev does plan to resume regular weekday service on Route 17H Monday morning.
Route 38B will permanently adjust its route in Clarendon using Washington Boulevard, North Kirkwood Road and 10th Street North.
Route NH2 (National Harbor-Alexandria) will now permanently run only to the south side of the Huntington Metro station rather than both the north and south ends.
Route 10A and 10B also have location adjustments at Huntington or Braddock Road.
Also starting Sunday, all Metro and DASH buses will resume stopping in the Braddock Road Metro station Bus Loop after detours due to last summer’s platform-repair shutdowns.
DASH and Metro will look into long-term improvements for the bus stops on Braddock Road, which will also remain in service. If those stops can get permanent shelters and easier access, it could save time on each trip. Additional review is expected this spring.
