Metro to close Crystal City station for 10 weekends this spring; Alexandria riders face shuttle buses, extended disruptions
Closures begin Saturday for construction of a second station entrance; three weekends will also shut down National Airport and Potomac Yard stations for track work
Metro riders in Alexandria and south Arlington should brace for months of weekend disruptions starting this Saturday, as the transit agency begins a series of 10 weekend closures at Crystal City station that will ripple across the Blue and Yellow lines through June.
The closures, which begin Feb. 14, are necessary for construction of a second entrance at Crystal City station, a joint project with Arlington County. During the shutdowns, trains will not operate between Pentagon City and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport — and for three of the 10 weekends, the service gap will widen to stretch from Pentagon City to Braddock Road, knocking out National Airport and Potomac Yard stations as well for existing track maintenance.
Free shuttle buses will replace train service through the affected segments during each closure.
The disruptions carry particular weight for Alexandria, where riders at Braddock Road, King Street-Old Town and stations south rely on the Blue and Yellow lines as their primary rail connections to the airport, Pentagon and downtown Washington. On the three extended-closure weekends — March 7-8, May 9-10 and May 16-17 — Braddock Road riders will need to board shuttles rather than trains to reach stations north of the gap.
10 weekends, two tiers of impact
For seven of the weekends, only the Crystal City station will close, with no trains running between Pentagon City and National Airport. Shuttle buses will cover that segment.
The full list of closure dates:
Feb. 14-16 (three-day Presidents Day weekend)
Feb. 21-22
Feb. 28-March 1
March 7-8
May 9-10
May 16-17
May 30-31
June 6-7
June 13-14
June 19-21 (three-day Juneteenth weekend)
On the three extended weekends — March 7-8, May 9-10 and May 16-17 — National Airport and Potomac Yard stations will also close, and shuttles will run between Pentagon City and Braddock Road.
What Alexandria riders need to know
Outside of the closed stations, Blue and Yellow line trains will continue to operate approximately every 12 minutes, but in split segments.
Blue Line trains will run in two sections: between Franconia-Springfield and National Airport (or Braddock Road on extended weekends), and between Pentagon City and Downtown Largo. Yellow Line trains will similarly split, running between Huntington and National Airport (or Braddock Road on extended weekends) and between Pentagon City and Mount Vernon Square, with alternating trains continuing to Greenbelt.
That means Alexandria riders heading north through the closure zone will need to exit their train, board a shuttle bus through the gap, and then catch another train on the other side at Pentagon City.
Why it’s happening
Metro says the weekend shutdowns are required for passenger and crew safety during construction of the second entrance at Crystal City. The new entrance, expected to open in spring 2027, will improve accessibility, transfers and rider distribution at the busy station.
The first closure weekend begins Saturday and runs through Monday, Feb. 16, in observance of Presidents Day. The final closure is set for the Juneteenth holiday weekend, June 19-21.
For service alerts and updates, riders can sign up for MetroAlerts at wmata.com or follow @wmata on X.