Metro News Release
For immediate release: January 15, 2011
Metro offers tips for getting around this weekend's Blue and Orange Line closure
Foggy Bottom-GWU Metrorail station is closed
Today, Saturday, Jan. 15, until closing Monday, Jan. 17, the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metrorail station is closed and trains are sharing one track in four locations on the Blue, Orange and Red lines while Metro conducts major rail system rehabilitation work to improve safety and reliability. Customers using the Blue and Orange lines should add 40 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, Jan. 18.
Throughout the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Weekend, the Blue and Orange lines will be split in two sections. The Blue Line will operate between the Franconia-Springfield and Rosslyn Metrorail stations and between the Largo Town Center and Farragut West Metrorail stations. The Orange Line will operate between the Vienna-Fairfax/GMU and Rosslyn Metrorail stations and between the New Carrollton and Farragut West Metrorail stations.
To alert customers about this work, Metro has posted signs in key stations, placed notices on station kiosks, taken out paid advertisements in newspapers, is sending e-Alerts, and making train and system announcements. Additional information will be available on Metro's web site at www.metroopensdoors.com.
During this weekend’s station closures, Metro is operating free shuttle bus service between the Rosslyn, Foggy Bottom-GWU and Farragut West Metrorail stations. Last night, from 10 p.m. to closing (3 a.m.), 4,302 people used the shuttle buses to complete their trips.
“There are several major events occurring this weekend at the Verizon Center and the Washington Convention Center, and despite the station closure at Foggy Bottom-GWU, Blue and Orange Line riders still have a variety of options to get to the events, either by train, or free shuttle bus,” said James Hughes, Metro’s Director of Intermodal Planning. “Planning ahead of time will make everyone’s travel commute a lot easier.”
Today, Saturday, Jan. 15, and Monday, Jan. 17, the Washington Wizards play at the Verizon Center. On Sunday, Jan. 16, the Washington Capitals play at the Verizon Center. This weekend, there is a health expo at the Washington Convention Center. Metro reminds customers riding or connecting to the Blue, Orange and Red lines to add at least 40 minutes into their travel time and to consider these travel options:
For Metrorail riders who normally use the Blue Line between Franconia-Springfield and the Pentagon and who wish to bypass the weekend closure at the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metrorail station, Metro will operate additional Yellow Line trains between the Huntington and Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center Metrorail stations between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15, Sunday, Jan. 16, and from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 17.
For Metrorail riders who wish to bypass the closure of the Blue and Orange lines between the Rosslyn and Farragut West Metrorail stations, the DC Circulator offers service between Rosslyn, Georgetown and Dupont Circle.
Metrorail riders will also have the option to use Metrobus route 38B, (Ballston-MU-Farragut Square Line) which operates between Rosslyn and Farragut Square.
In addition to the closure of the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metrorail station, from now until closing on Monday, Jan. 17, Orange and Blue Line trains are sharing one track in two locations. Orange Line trains are sharing one track between the West Falls Church-VT/UVA and East Falls Church Metrorail stations to allow the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project to conduct major construction activities that will eventually connect the new rail line to the existing Metrorail system. On the Blue Line, trains are sharing one track between the Van Dorn Street and Braddock Road Metrorail stations to allow for maintenance work related to the Wilson Bridge project.
From now until closing on Monday, Jan. 17, Red Line, trains are sharing one track between the Friendship Heights and Van Ness-UDC Metrorail stations as personnel repair tunnel leaks and install new bumpy tiles on the station platform at the Tenleytown Metrorail station. Also, as part of the Red Line rehabilitation project, trains will share one track between the New York Avenue-Florida Avenue-Gallaudet U and Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood Metrorail stations.
News release issued at 11:03 am, January 15, 2011.