Construction work on second entrance at Crystal City station will require weekend closures in 2026

Published: 12/19/2025

Metro, in coordination with Arlington County, is preparing to open a second entrance for the Crystal City station to support growing ridership demand and improve station access.

Construction will require 10 weekend closures of the Crystal City station in the first half of 2026 to build the entrance. 

On three of those weekends, track maintenance work will extend to Potomac Yard/VT and include Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station closures. During this time, crews will do lifecycle renewal of Metro’s infrastructure including track and signaling components. Crews will replace switches, crossties that support the rails, and grout pads that stabilize tracks. This work is part of Metro’s ongoing investment in reliability and smoother customer trips.

Crystal City shutdown Map graphic

Map includes Ronald Reagan National Airport station closures only on March 7-8; May 9-10, 16-17.

Customers should be aware of the following construction dates and plan extra time for trips on the Blue and Yellow lines. Beginning the weekend of February 14th, customers traveling to National Airport from points North should plan extra time as they will need to board free shuttle buses at Pentagon City. Customers travelling from National Airport to points North will also need to plan extra time as they will board free shuttle buses at Crystal City. Blue and Yellow line trains will run every 12 minutes on either side of the construction zone.

Weekend Shutdown Dates

  • Feb 14–16, 21–22, and Feb 28–March 1; 
  • March 7–8 (Work extends to Potomac Yard/VT; Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station also closed); 
  • May 9–10, 16–17, and 30–31 (with the first two weekends in May also extending to Potomac Yard/VT and closing the airport station); and
  • June 6–7, 13–14, and 19–21.

These outages are scheduled outside the National Cherry Blossom Festival to avoid major travel disruptions during one of the region’s busiest periods.

Project Background

Metro and Arlington County are working together to construct a second station entrance at the east end of Crystal City, near 18th Street S and Crystal Drive, to improve access from Crystal Drive, the VRE station, and the Metroway bus transit station. The project also includes elevator upgrades to enhance ADA access. The entrance is expected to open in summer 2027.

To learn more about the project, visit Arlington County’s website and the Metro website.

Customer Service Information

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About Metro

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), known as Metro, is the region’s leading public transportation provider, serving a population of approximately four million people across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia within a 2,054-square-mile jurisdiction. With a network of six rail lines, 98 stations, 125 bus routes, and a door-to-door paratransit service, Metro is the second busiest transit system in the United States with a $5 billion operating and capital budget. Since 2022, Metro has completed multiple transit-oriented development projects that have brought $15 million in tax revenue to the region from housing, office, and retail space in our community. Safety and security are core values at Metro. Over 30,000 cameras monitor the system, and Metro is currently at an 8-year crime low with fare evasion down 82%. In 2025, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) named Metro the Transit Agency of the Year in recognition of industry-leading ridership growth, record high customer satisfaction, a newly redesigned Bus network, expanded rail service, and improved customer experience. 

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