Metro’s Red Line to close from Friendship Heights to North Bethesda for summer construction work

Free shuttle services will be available from July to September; crews to work on Purple Line mezzanine project at Bethesda Metro station

By

March 25, 2026 5:28 p.m.

Share

From July to September, “major construction” work on a portion of Metro’s Red Line in Montgomery County will be underway, resulting in station closures from North Bethesda to Friendship Heights, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).

WMATA estimates the station closures and operational changes will begin July 6 and last until Sept. 7, according to a WMATA website detailing the closures. The Bethesda, Medical Center and Grosvenor-Strathmore stations will all be completely closed.

Free shuttle buses will replace trains at those stations.

During the two-month period, Metro trains will continue to operate around the closures, with trains operating every six minutes in two segments between Shady Grove and North Bethesda and between Friendship Heights and Glenmont, according to WMATA.

- Advertisement -

The construction work includes creating a second mezzanine at the Bethesda station that will integrate the Red Line with the upcoming Purple Line.

The Purple Line — a 21-station light-rail line stretching 16 miles from Bethesda to New Carrollton in Prince George’s County — is expected to open in 2027. The line will connect riders to Metro’s Red, Green and Orange lines, as well as to MARC, Amtrak and local bus services.

The Bethesda mezzanine is a key and complex part of the Purple Line project that will facilitate the transfer of passengers from the Metro to the light-rail line. Issues with its construction have contributed to the escalating cost of the Purple Line, which could top $300 million, according to Purple Line officials.

Summer construction on the Red Line will also include platform rehabilitation at the Grosvenor-Strathmore station. That work includes replacing slab edges and tiles, adding new lighting, and “modifying drainage,” according to WMATA. In addition, construction crews will replace the raised railway spanning Rockville Pike from the Grosvenor-Strathmore and Medical Center stations.

Sponsored

Modifying Child Custody in Maryland: When and Why a Change May Be Appropriate

Where Convenience, Value, and Luxury Come Home Together

Featured Now

Shuttle service

Free shuttle service will be available to commuters with express and local shuttle options, according to WMATA. All shuttle services will be accessible to passengers with physical disabilities.

The express shuttle will operate between North Bethesda and Friendship Heights with no stops, and the travel time is estimated to be 26 minutes long, according to WMATA. The local shuttle will include stops at all five Metro stations, and the total travel time is estimated to be 48 minutes.

Details about the shuttle pick-up and drop-off location will be available closer to the start of construction, according to WMATA.

Digital Partners

Originally published at Bethesdamagazine