More Details Emerge on Orange Line Work This Summer

As WMATA looks ahead to summer Metro repairs, more details have been revealed about the Orange Line closures that will impact riders in Northern Virginia. 

Beginning May 27, the Vienna, Dunn Loring and East Falls Church stations will be closed, according to a WMATA presentation at a Falls Church City Council meeting earlier this week, which added that the Silver Line from McLean to Wiehle-Reston East will also be affected. 

Crews will update slip-resistant tiles, LED lighting, add new large digital displays and build new shelters on the platforms during the closures, WMATA representatives said at the meeting.

WMATA representatives also said free buses will replace trains at each of the affected stations and riders can expect the closures to last through Sept. 7.

Summer was chosen as the ideal time for the project because ridership is down slightly during that time of the year, the representatives said.

“We found it was really much more efficient when we use longer extended periods (of closures),” one representative added, compared to completing updates at night or over weekends.

During closures, four bus routes will offer riders alternative options:

• from Vienna to West Falls Church
• from Dunn Loring to West Falls Church
• from East Falls Church to Ballston
• from Rosslyn, then to Courthouse before stopping at Ballston and finally to Vienna

There will also be added on-demand shuttles from Vienna to Dunn Loring and West Falls Church to East Falls Church.

The presentation also mentioned that Silver Line trains from McLean to Wiehle-Reston will stop at each station but run on a reduced schedule.

Riders can expect the West Falls Church station to remain open but with single-tracking and for trains to go through — but not stop at — the East Falls Church station.

There will also be a variety of Metro Buses, ART Buses and Fairfax Connector Buses that will also be affected, according to the presentation.

Image (2) via City of Falls Church