On-going work on the Dulles Metrorail project will cut off service between East Falls Church and West Falls Church over the next two weekends.
The change will affect anybody who normally travels to Dulles Airport via the Washington Flyer bus from the West Falls Church station. A free shuttle bus will be provided between East and West Falls Church, but officials advise Metro customers to add 30 minutes to their travel time.
From Arlington County:
There will be no train service between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations during the weekends of March 11 to 13 and March 18 to 20 to allow the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project to continue major construction activities that will eventually connect the new rail line to the existing Metrorail system.
From 10 p.m., Friday, March 11 to closing (midnight) on Sunday, March 13, and again the following weekend from 10 p.m., Friday, March 18 to closing (midnight) on Sunday, March 20, the Orange Line will be split in two sections, the first running from Vienna/Fairfax-GMU to West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations, and the second between the New Carrollton and East Falls Church Metrorail stations. The East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations will remain open.
To help riders get through the work zone, Metro will operate free shuttle buses between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations. Customers should add an extra 30 minutes into their travel plans if they need to pass through the work zone. To alert customers about this work, Metro will send e-Alerts, post signs in key stations, place notices on station kiosks, advertise in local papers and make train and system announcements. Additional information will be available on Metro’s web site at www.MetroOpensDoors.com. Extra Metro employees will be available at the East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations to help customers navigate around the weekend closures using the free shuttle bus service. During these two weekends, the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project contractors will test critical infrastructure support systems which are necessary to connect the new rail line to the Orange Line.
Metro personnel will also be working between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations installing new rail, new ties and new insulators to make it a smoother ride for Orange Line customers