Metro's Track Work Schedule for April

Thank those cherry blossom tourists. They're giving us three straight weekends without major track work to delay travel on Metrorail.

Last weekend was the first of the three. Track work also is suspended for this coming weekend and for April 11-12. Then it gets busy again.

Friday, April 17, to Sunday, April 19

Red Line: Add at least half an hour to a trip between Judiciary Square and Rhode Island Avenue. Metro is replacing a switch in the Brentwood rail yard, south of Rhode Island Avenue. Trains will share one track around the work zone from 10 p.m., April 17 to midnight April 19.

Orange Line: Add at least a half hour to travel time between Vienna and West Falls Church. Metro will be replacing crossties, so trains will share a track around the work area from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 18. Every other train in the direction of Vienna will terminate at West Falls Church and turn back toward New Carrollton. That will put more trains into the core area, where the most riders are.

Friday, April 24, to Sunday, April 26

Red Line: Switch replacements are big projects, spanning several weekends. So once again, riders should add at least a half hour to travel time between Judiciary Square and Rhode Island Avenue for the switch replacement at the Brentwood yard. Trains will share a single track from 10 p.m. April 24 to midnight April 26.

Blue and Orange Lines: Add at least a half hour between Eastern Market and Stadium-Armory during bridge maintenance on the aerial structure outside Stadium-Armory. Single tracking will continue from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 25 and 26.