Starting Saturday, Metrorail will close four Orange Line stations — Vienna, Dunn Loring, and West and East Falls Church — to replace decades-old rail.
East Falls Church will be closed until June 25. Orange Line service will remain suspended from Vienna to West Falls Church until July 16.
Metrorail is taking out the original steel rail between Vienna and Ballston-MU, put down 40 years ago. Along with replacing the rail, crews will install fiber-optic cables.
“Replacing some of the oldest tracks in our system is critical to safety and reliability, and crews will work 24/7 to complete this project as quickly as possible so we can get back to normal service,” Metro Chief of Infrastructure Andy Off said in a statement.
People using Metrorail out of Fairfax County will be particularly affected.
The three Orange Line stations in the county will be shut down. Silver Line commuters will have to take a shuttle from McLean to Ballston-MU because the East Falls Church stop, which services both Orange and Silver lines, will also be closed.
Free daily shuttles will be available from all of the closed stations as well as from McLean to Ballston-MU, which serves both the Orange and Silver lines.
Express and limited-stop shuttles will be offered from Vienna to Rosslyn, and from Dulles International Airport and McLean to Rosslyn.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.