(Photo by BeyondDC)

It’s not quite SafeTrack levels of disruption, which scrambled commutes for a year from the summer of 2016 to the summer of 2017. Still, riders will again find major maintenance work affecting Metro rides this summer nearly across the entire system, with the longest disruption coming to the Red Line.

WMATA has announced a combination of shuttle buses, a temporary dedicated bus lane, extra bus service, and modified train service that are intended to help to compensate.

Beginning on July 21, the Red Line’s Rhode Island Avenue and Brookland stations will close for 45 days, as WMATA announced earlier this year. The stations are slated to reopen on September 3 after structural work is completed. Construction on the Rhode Island Avenue and Brookland stations is aimed at fixing conditions on the platform that affect entry on to trains, a particular problem for riders with disabilities, according to Metro.

Service will also be severely curtailed on the Orange, Blue, and Silver lines from August 11-26 so that crews can rebuild the “sharpest and most heavily traveled curve” in the system, WMATA says. During that period, the Blue Line will only run between Franconia-Springfield and Arlington Cemetery, and the Orange and Silver lines will experience single tracking.

Metro has announced several modifications to help ease the burden of the Red Line closure.

The MetroExtra G9, which normally only operates during rush hour, will run at all times. And it should have an easier time making its way through traffic; the District Department of Transportation will create a temporary dedicated bus lane on Rhode Island Avenue NE from North Capitol St. to 12th St. NE. It will be in place from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. from Monday through Saturday.

Free shuttle buses will take riders between the Fort Totten, Brookland, Rhode Island Ave, and NoMa-Gallaudet U stations, while “express” shuttle buses will go between Brookland and Rhode Island Ave and the Metro Center, Gallery Place, and Union Station neighborhoods.

WMATA will also add capacity to the Green and Yellow lines, including running some Yellow Line trains all the way to Greenbelt, instead of Mt. Vernon Square.

During the work in August, Metro encourages Orange, Silver, and Blue line riders to seek alternate transportation.

Single tracking between McPherson Square and Smithsonian will result in Orange and Silver line trains only running every 20 minutes through the District’s core; the Blue Line will be limited to Virginia stations.

During rush hour, Metro plans to add extra Yellow Line trains between Franconia-Springfield and Greenbelt to help compensate.

This isn’t the last riders will hear of major summertime infrastructure projects.

WMATA is planning to close all Blue and Yellow line stations south of Reagan National Airport from Memorial Day to Labor Day in 2019, the first part of a three-year effort to rebuild 20 station platforms.