‘We will all get through this’: Officials anticipate challenging summer with Red Line closure, use of shuttle buses

Riders encouraged to expect up to 25 minutes of extra travel time

June 16, 2026 11:49 a.m.

A map of dedicated bus lanes for the Metro shuttle buses during the Red Line closure. Photo credit: Elia Griffin

With three weeks to go before the start of a two-month closure of the Metro Rail Red Line between North Bethesda and Friendship Heights, county, state and transit officials are preparing for a summer of shuttling commuters along Route 355 and dealing with drivers frustrated by the resulting traffic congestion.

“We will get through this,” Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) said during a Monday press conference at the Bethesda Metro Station.

Starting July 6, a portion of the Red Line from North Bethesda to Friendship Heights will be closed for two months for major construction work. During the closure, which is expected to last until Sept. 6, the Bethesda, Medical Center and Grosvenor-Strathmore stations will be closed and inaccessible.

Free shuttle buses will replace trains at the three stations during the closure. The buses will travel on 7.5 miles of temporary bus lanes that have been installed along Route 355. The bus lanes will operate from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and local law enforcement agencies will enforce the prohibition against other vehicles using the lanes, officials said.

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Officials are also recommending riders who plan to use the Red Line shuttle service this summer to budget an extra 20 to 25 minutes for travel, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Chief Operations Officer Leroy Jones said during Monday’s press conference.

Signs for the bus lanes will be placed along Route 355. Photo credit: Elia Griffin

Anticipating challenges created by traffic congestion resulting from the shuttle buses and bus lanes, Elrich encouraged residents to consider other methods of transportation, including the county’s Ride On buses. The free public buses can take riders to areas in Bethesda, North Bethesda and Friendship Heights, Elrich said, and Metro buses can deliver riders into downtown Washington, D.C.

“So if you’re stuck in a car and you’re hating the fact that this is a bit congested, think about whether it’d be worth your while to get on the Metro shuttles and get to the Metro that way,” Elrich said. “The sacrifice commuters make this summer is going to lead to more transit options once the Purple Line service begins.”

The construction work planned for the Red Line closure includes creating a second mezzanine at the Bethesda Metro station to integrate the Red Line with the upcoming Purple Line.

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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.

Elrich also encouraged riders to consider using Red Line service at the Wheaton or Glenmont Metro stations this summer, especially if heading into the District.

County Council President Natali Fani-González noted during Monday’s press conference that riders who park at the North Bethesda and Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro stations will also be able to park for free during the two-month closure.

Rendering showing the connection between the Purple Line and Metro’s Red Line stations in Bethesda. Photo credit: Elia Griffin
Rendering of what the completed mezzanine platform will look like at the Bethesda Metro Station. Photo credit: Elia Griffin

Officials at Monday’s press conference acknowledged there would be “pain” as thousands of riders adjust to the new shuttle system. In July and August of 2025, the Grosvenor-Strathmore, Medical Center and Bethesda stations saw an average of 12,500 trips each weekday and 5,000 trips each weekend day, according to WMATA.

WMATA General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke, who also attended the press conference, said officials hope for the Red Line construction crews to be “in and out” within the two-month period. He noted WMATA expects the start of shuttle bus operations to be challenging, but expects that the situation will improve as tweaks are made and riders better understand the system.

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“This is a very important shutdown,” Clarke added. “We are going to be on the verge of changing this whole Bethesda area with this Purple Line connection. We’re very excited about that.”

During the two months, WMATA plans to get as much work done as possible on construction of the south mezzanine platform at the Bethesda station, Clarke said, and expects to complete an additional rehabilitation project at the Grosvenor-Strathmore station.

According to Jones, the Metro system will use about 100 buses, primarily charter buses, during the shutdown to shuttle riders from North Bethesda to Friendship Heights. There will be local buses that make stops at every station and an express shuttle that provides service only at the North Bethesda and Friendship Heights stations.

A map of the summer Red Line closure and where riders can get free shuttle service. Photo credit: Elia Griffin

“We will have a lot of teammates out to make sure we’re providing amazing customer support throughout the shutdown, especially for the first couple of weeks as customers orient themselves around new travel patterns,” Jones said.

Shuttles will begin on weekdays at 4:30 a.m. and at 5:30 a.m. on the weekends, according to Jones. Local shuttles will have a 48-minute travel time from North Bethesda to Friendship Heights and express buses will have a 26-minute travel time.

State Del. Marc Korman, a Rockville resident and chair of the House of Delegates’ Environment and Transportation Committee, who attended Monday’s press conference, noted the two-month closure and its travel impacts would be difficult, but “worth it.”

He noted the construction and shutdown are needed to have a “well-functioning” transit system for the region, but especially in the county.

“A majority of Montgomery County commuters do not commute in and out of D.C. Most of our commuters actually commute to other suburbs. And so we need to really enhance these transit suburb-to-suburb connections,” Korman said.

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine