Summer construction on Metro’s Red Line will close stations between North Bethesda and Friendship Heights

This summer, from July 6 through Sept. 6, Metro will conduct major construction on the Red Line, and trains will not operate between North Bethesda and Friendship Heights. Free Local and Express shuttle buses will replace rail service to and from Grosvenor-Strathmore, Medical Center, and Bethesda.

Metro is building a second mezzanine in the Bethesda Metro Rail station to connect with the Maryland Transit Administration’s Purple Line light rail project. MTA's 16.2-mile light rail line is scheduled to open in late 2027 and will provide cross-county connections in Montgomery and Prince George's County with transfer points to Metro Rail stations at Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park, and New Carrollton. The new entrance will mean another access point to Metro and a shorter walk for some in the area. 

Metro will also complete other needed track work during this time, including repairs on the elevated track between Grosvenor-Strathmore and Medical Center and rehabilitating the platform at Grosvenor. The station will get new lighting, tiles, and platform edge. 

Normal train service is scheduled to resume on Sept. 7.

Travel alternatives

Free shuttle buses will run every 5-8 minutes during Metro Rail operating hours.

The Express shuttle will run directly from North Bethesda to Friendship Heights and take an estimated 26 minutes. 

The Local shuttle will make stops at North Bethesda, Grosvenor-Strathmore, Medical Center, Bethesda, and Friendship Heights. Travel time between each station stop is estimated to take about 10 minutes.

Eight lane-miles of dedicated bus lanes along two main segments of Rockville Pike/MD 355 will help expedite shuttle service. Metro is working in coordination with the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation to implement the bus-only lanes.

Customers may also use alternatives like MARC Commuter Rail service from Rockville to Union Station. Additional measures to support customers are under development and will be shared before construction begins.

Metro is conducting construction during the summer months when ridership is typically lower to minimize customer impacts. The construction project was originally announced in Feb. 2024.

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, 126 bus routes, and a door-to-door paratransit service, Metro is the second busiest transit system in the United States serving 268.9 million trips in 2025 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 currently has the lowest crime rate in history with fare evasion down 82% on rail. 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.