Starting this winter, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will undertake an important construction project to perform maintenance on stations and tracks in Washington, DC. The project will begin on December 20, 2024, and is expected to be completed by December 31, 2024. During the construction period, several stations in Washington, DC that serve the Orange, Silver, and Blue Lines will be temporarily closed. While much of the construction will occur in Washington, DC, commuters in Arlington will also be affected, particularly those commuting into the district and those who change trains in Rosslyn.
The goal of this project includes performing routine maintenance, such as replacing grout pads, updating fasteners and studs, and upgrading platform edge lighting. While the construction is underway, WMATA will offer commuters a complimentary shuttle service to connect the affected stations. Arlington Transportation Partners (ATP) is also ready to assist you and your organization with alternate routes and informative resources during this time.
The construction will occur in two phases impacting the Orange, Silver, and Blue Lines.
The first phase will begin on December 20 and run through December 26, closing the Farragut West and McPherson Square stations. The construction will also close the lower level of Metro Center, which serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines.
The second phase of construction will occur between December 27 and December 30. During this phase, Farragut West, McPherson Square, and the lower level of Metro Center will remain closed. Additional station closures will include Federal Triangle, Smithsonian, and the lower level of L’Enfant Plaza.
The Orange Line will close from Clarendon to Federal Triangle during phase one, with closures extending to Federal Circle during phase two.
Orange Line service will continue between Vienna and Clarendon, as well as between Federal Triangle and New Carrollton during the first phase. In the second phase, the eastern section of the Orange Line will continue service between Federal Center SW and New Carrollton. Due to the construction, Orange Line commuters who typically change to the Blue Line in Rosslyn will need to change to the Silver Line in Clarendon, as the Orange Line will not be operating in Court House or Rosslyn.
In the first phase, the Silver Line will be closed between Foggy Bottom-GWU and Federal Triangle. Like the Orange Line closures, these closures will extend to Federal Circle during the second phase.
The Silver Line will continue operating between Federal Triangle and Downtown Largo during the first phase, and between Federal Center SW and Downtown Largo during the second. The Arlington side of the Silver Line will continue operating as usual between Ashburn and Foggy Bottom-GWU stations during both phases.
The final metro route that will be affected during this period will be the Blue Line, which will see the most closures. Throughout both phases of construction, the Blue Line will be closed between Farragut West to the line’s endpoint at Downtown Largo.
The Blue Line closures will not impact the Arlington section of the Metro line, so travel between Franconia-Springfield and Foggy Bottom-GWU will not be affected.
WMATA will assist commuters by offering a complimentary shuttle service to move commuters through the affected stations. Shuttles will run every 8 to 10 minutes during weekdays and every 10 to 12 minutes on weekends and holidays. Commuters will have the option to select shuttles that stop at each of the closed stations or express shuttles which travel the length of affected stations. Shuttle stops will be located near the exits of the stations and more information on where the complimentary shuttle buses will be located at each stop can be found on WMATA’s shuttle and travel alternatives page.
Metro closures can be cumbersome for commuters needing to get around, but ATP is here as a resource to help you prepare for and navigate the construction by providing alternate route information during metro projects and station closures. ATP can also assist you with developing a custom transportation plan to give you the best options when planning your commute.
More information concerning this construction project can be found on WMATA’s Status and Alerts webpage.
Photo Credit: Sam Kittner/kittner.com for Arlington Transportation Partners