Metro News Release

For immediate release: April 22, 2010

Construction of rail to Dulles to halt service between East Falls and West Falls Church on Memorial Day Weekend and the first two weekends in June

Orange Line to be split in two; expect delays

There will be no train service between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, (May 28 to 31), and the first two weekends in June (June 4 to 6 and June 11-13) as the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project will undertake the first in a series of major construction activities that will eventually connect the new rail line to the existing Metrorail system.

For three consecutive weekends, from midnight, Friday, May 28, to closing, on Monday, May 31, from midnight, Friday, June 4 to closing, Sunday, June 6, and from midnight, Friday, June 11 to closing on Sunday, June 13, the Orange Line will be split in two sections, the first between the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail station, and the second between the New Carrollton and East Falls Church Metrorail station. The East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations will remain open.

To help people get around the construction zone, Metro will operate free shuttle buses between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations. Customers should expect delays and build an extra 30 minutes into their travel plans if they need to pass through the work zone.

During the three-day project, the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project will perform construction on a pier located east of the West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail station, drive piles outside of the right-of-way fence along the I-66 west and eastbound lanes and replace ties on the tracks. All of this work is necessary to connect the new rail line to the Orange Line.

Throughout the Memorial Day Weekend Metro administrative employees will be available to assist customers between the West Falls Church-VT/UVA and East Falls Church Metrorail stations to help customers navigate around the track work.

To alert customers about this work, Metro will send e-Alerts, use paid advertising, post signs and banners in key stations, and make train and system announcements.

Metro will be coordinating with Fairfax and Arlington County transportation officials on service plans for shuttle bus services over Memorial Day weekend. As a result of this work, some Metrobuses that normally service the West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail station may be detoured to accommodate shuttle buses coming from the East Falls Church Metrorail station.

Metro will release more information on shuttle bus services and possible route detours related to this construction project next month.

The Trip Planner, located on Metro's Web site, will not reflect the impact of this work on its schedules. Customers should allow more time for their trips because of this work. For more information on traveling by Metrobus or Metrorail, customers may call (202) 637-7000 or TTY (202) 638-3780.


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News release issued at 2:56 pm, April 22, 2010.