Metro News Release
For immediate release: October 10, 2009
Metro offers tips for getting around this weekend's station closures
Waterfront-SEU and Archives-Navy Mem'l-Penn Quarter stations closed; No Green Line service at L'Enfant Plaza
Today, Saturday, Oct, 10, until closing (midnight) on Monday, Oct. 12, the Waterfront-SEU and Archives-Navy Mem’l-Penn Quarter Metrorail stations are closed and there is no Green Line service at the L’Enfant Plaza Metrorail station while Metro conducts major track work. Customers using the Yellow and Green lines should add 30 minutes to their travel plans to transfer to free shuttle buses to get past the affected work area. Throughout the weekend, extra Metro employees will be on hand to guide customers to their connecting shuttle buses. Regular service will resume when the Metrorail system opens on Tuesday morning, Oct. 13.
During this weekend’s station closures, Metro is operating three separate free shuttle bus routes from the Gallery Pl-Chinatown Metrorail station to the Anacostia, Navy Yard, Waterfront-SEU, Archives-Navy Mem’l-Penn Quarter and L’Enfant Plaza Metrorail stations.
“There are several major events occurring this weekend and despite the station closures at Waterfront, Archives, and the partial closure at L’Enfant Plaza, Green and Yellow Line riders still have a variety of options to get into Washington, D.C., either by train, or a selection of free shuttle buses,” said James Hughes, Metro’s Assistant Director of Intermodal Planning. “Planning ahead of time will make everyone’s travel commute a lot easier.”
Tomorrow, Sunday, October 11, there is a National Equality March on the National Mall and the “Bike for the Heart” bicycle ride on Pennsylvania Ave., NW. On Monday, Oct. 12, the Washington Capitals will play at the Verizon Center. Metro reminds customers riding or connecting to the Yellow and Green lines to add at least 30 minutes into their travel time and to consider these travel options:
- People leaving the National Equality March from the U.S. Capitol and returning to Union Station and all Red Line stations should walk north on 1st St., and make a right onto Louisiana Ave., NE, to Union Station.
- People leaving the National Equality March from the U.S. Capitol and traveling to RFK Stadium should walk south on 3rd St., to the Federal Center SW Metrorail station and board the Orange Line toward New Carrollton or the Blue Line toward the Largo Town Center.
- Customers who normally use the Navy Yard Metrorail station on the Green Line can walk to the Capitol South Metrorail station to catch the Blue or Orange Line.
- Customers traveling to the Archives/Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter Metrorail station can instead exit at the Gallery Pl-Chinatown Metrorail station or the Federal Triangle Metrorail station and walk to Archives/Navy Memorial station via 7th St., NW.
- Customers riding the Yellow Line from Virginia will be rerouted to follow the Blue Line and they can transfer at Metro Center to the Red Line and ride one stop to Gallery Pl-Chinatown Metrorail station.
- Customers riding the Green Line from the Greenbelt Metrorail station can transfer at the Fort Totten Metrorail station and instead take the Red Line toward downtown Washington.
- Free direct shuttle bus service will be available all weekend between the Anacostia, Navy Yard and Gallery Pl-Chinatown Metrorail stations.
This weekend, Metro is replacing the entire rail interlocking (four switches) at the L’Enfant Plaza Metrorail station and the Yellow Line Bridge over the Potomac River is closed while Metro conducts an annual safety inspection and replaces rail fasteners. The track switch replacement is work recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board.
As a result of this weekend’s work, the Green Line is operating in two segments -- between the Branch Avenue and Navy Yard Metrorail stations and between the Greenbelt and Gallery Pl-Chinatown Metrorail stations.
Through Monday, Oct. 12, the Yellow Line is operating between the Huntington and Stadium-Armory Metrorail stations with a stop at the L’Enfant Plaza Metrorail station on the lower level.
This weekend’s work does not impacting the Red, Blue and Orange lines.
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Media contact for this news release: Steven Taubenkibel at 202-962-1051.
For all other inquiries, please call customer service at 202-637-7000.
News release issued at 9:38 am, October 10, 2009.