Two weeks of pain set to begin for Huntington Metro users

SafeTrack surges three and four are upon us. Corridor residents who rely on the Yellow or Blue lines for their daily commute face two weeks of severely diminished service due to major track repairs that will close entire segments of the line.

If you can’t drive, carpool or telecommute during that stretch, here’s what to expect:

Where are the closures and how long are they?

Surge 3 starts at 8 p.m. on July 5 and runs through July 11. During this stretch the Yellow and Blue Lines will be completely shut down between the National Airport and Braddock Road stops.

Surge 4 will run July 12-18. During that week the Yellow and Blue Lines will be completely shut down between the Pentagon City and National Airport stops. That means the Crystal City stop will not be open at all.

Other than the segment closures, will everything be normal?

No. Both the Yellow and Blue Lines will be running fewer trains, and Metro is point-blank advising riders to stay away unless they have no other options. These are the schedules for the two lines during SafeTrack surge 3:

• Yellow Line trains run every 12 minutes between Huntington and Braddock Road, and every 12 minutes between National Airport and Greenbelt.
• Blue Line trains run every 15 minutes between Franconia-Springfield and Braddock Road, and every 12 minutes between National Airport and Largo Town Center.

Train riders can take a bus to bypass the closed segments, right?

Yes. The northbound Yellow will run through to Braddock Road during surge 3 and to National Airport during surge 4. If you’re returning to Huntington in the afternoon, the trains will stop at National (surge 3) and Pentagon City (surge 4)

At those stopping points, riders who need to keep going will have to depart the train and board a free shuttle bus to the next station, where they can then board a new train and restart their commute. Riders who do this will only be charged for one trip on their SmartTrip cards.

Can I park at Huntington and take a bus to a station past the segment closure?

Yes. If you normally park at Huntington in the morning, you can hop aboard the 10A Metrobus and take it to either Pentagon City or the Pentagon station during either surge. Normally this route runs every 30 minutes, but during SafeTrack it will be about every 15 minutes, according to Metro.

How do I bypass the train altogether?

If you live in the Route 1 corridor, the Mount Vernon Express (11Y) Metrobus line is an option. If has multiple stops in southeast Fairfax and runs to Farragut Square and Potomac Park in D.C.

Depending on where you live, there are other bus options outside the corridor, but for most folks in southeast Fairfax they will not be particularly convenient. See the county’s guide to SafeTrack surge 3 for more info.