The closures are part of a multi-year improvement project.

If you're a regular on the blue line of the Metro, you’re going to have to make alternate plans beginning on February 13, 2021. Metro (WMATA) will be closing two stations and ceasing operation of the blue line through May 23. The crumbling infrastructure of the Addison Road and Arlington Cemetery stations will be remodeled as part of a Platform Improvement Project that began in 2019. Metro will provide free shuttle buses for those stations during the closures.

Metro ridership has declined during the pandemic but the agency is moving forward with repairs to the outdoor stations. Repairs will include LED lighting, large digital display screens, and new platform shelters with charging ports and enhanced security.

"Despite our pandemic-related budget challenges, we must continue to prioritize safety-critical projects to keep the system reliable for the next generation of Metro customers," said Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Paul J. Wiedefeld. "We will work as quickly and safely as possible to complete this project and reopen stations for our customers. We've worked very closely with our regional partners to provide convenient travel alternatives during construction.”

Courtesy WMATA

In addition to the closure of the two stations, no trains will be running on the blue line at all. Metro will fill in the gaps by running additional trains on the yellow and silver lines. Free shuttle buses will run between Rosslyn, Arlington Cemetery, and Pentagon and between Addison Road and Capitol Heights. Parking at the Addison Road station will be free during construction. Commuters can also use Metrobus, Arlington Transit, and Fairfax connector instead.

The project includes the remodeling of 20 metro stations in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, and is already halfway complete. The Reagan National Airport station was finished and opened to the public on December 13.