Weekend trips to Reagan National are about to get trickier. Metro is shutting down the Crystal City station for ten weekends through June while crews build a new east entrance, and on three of those weekends the closure will stretch all the way to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Potomac Yard. That means Blue and Yellow Line riders will be pushed onto shuttle buses or alternate bus routes whenever trains are not running between Pentagon City and National Airport or Braddock Road. Metro and Arlington County say the work, which includes elevator upgrades and a new headhouse, is aimed at easing crowding and improving access in the fast-growing National Landing area.
Metro's schedule and shuttle plan
The full closure schedule, according to WMATA, is Feb. 14–16, Feb. 21–22, Feb. 28–March 1, March 7–8, May 9–10, May 16–17, May 30–31, June 6–7, June 13–14 and June 19–21. On March 7–8 and on the two May weekends, the work zone grows to include Braddock Road, closing Potomac Yard and the airport station as well. During those weekends Metro will run free local and express shuttle buses between Pentagon City and National Airport, and extend them to Braddock Road when Potomac Yard is closed, with shuttle frequencies structured to mimic regular train service. Riders are urged to use trip planner tools or sign up for MetroAlerts for real-time updates and last-minute tweaks, WMATA says.
Airport travel impacts
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority CEO Jack Potter told WJLA that on an average Sunday about 7,000 people arrive at Reagan National by Metro, with roughly 5,000 using the system on Saturdays. Those numbers hint at how much pressure a station shutdown can put on airport access. Airport and transit planners are warning that curbside traffic and shuttle operations will be especially busy on affected weekends, and travelers with Saturday or Sunday flights are being told to budget extra time. If you usually ride Metro to DCA, you may want to arrive earlier than usual or lean on alternate bus routes and ride-hail options when the closures kick in.
About the new entrance
Arlington County pegs the Crystal City east entrance project at about $146.1 million under the county's Guaranteed Maximum Price. The plan is to build a ground-level headhouse at the northwest corner of Crystal Drive and 18th Street South, complete with elevators and new platform connections. The county's project overview notes that the entrance is designed to improve transfers to VRE, Metroway and Metrobus and to provide an additional emergency exit. Construction began in 2024, and the new entrance is expected to open in spring 2027. County officials say the revised price reflects a more detailed 30 percent design plan along with industry cost pressures, according to Arlington County.
Alternatives and shuttle details
While trains are out of service, Metro will run a mix of local and express shuttles that start at Pentagon City and stop at Crystal City and the airport, with service extended to Potomac Yard and Braddock Road on the longer closure weekends. WMATA's advisory points riders to several Metrobus alternatives, including the A1X, A40 and A11, and notes that all shuttles are ADA-accessible and often arrive every 8 to 10 minutes on impacted weekends. For airport pickups, the shuttles will use the Kiss & Fly area outside Terminal 2. Riders should be ready for longer overall trips, since the buses have to replicate multiple station stops. Metro also urges riders to double-check shuttle stop locations and platform maps before heading out so they are not stuck waiting at the wrong curb.
What commuters should know
Local coverage says the closures are expected to ripple across Alexandria and southern Arlington neighborhoods that lean heavily on the Blue and Yellow lines for airport and downtown commutes. NBC4 reports that Metro tried to dodge the very busiest festival weekends, but the repeated shutdowns will still complicate plans for plenty of riders. Employers and hospitality businesses around National Landing and Alexandria may see more requests for alternate pickup spots, and weekend shift workers who rely on Metro are being encouraged to confirm schedules with supervisors ahead of time. Riders should also keep an eye out for temporary detours, bus stop relocations and updated shuttle maps in the days leading up to each affected weekend.
The bottom line for anyone flying out of DCA on a closure weekend: pad your schedule, consider alternate buses or ride-hail, and check transit alerts before you lock in your route. For project materials and signup information, visit Arlington County and follow MetroAlerts for real-time service notices.
