Major Metro Red Line service disruptions, closures starting July 10

WASHINGTON - The Metro will suffer major service disruptions after the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced it would test new waterproofing in Red Line tunnels.

Officials said the project will be focused between Friendship Heights and Medical Center stations and will last from July 10 to Aug. 11.

During this time the Metro will run single track every weeknight beginning at 9 p.m. The Metro will be completely shut down between those stations every weekend during that time.

Officials said free shuttle buses will replace Red Line trains between Grosvenor and Friendship Heights for those weekends.

Metro said the presence of moisture and dripping water has caused significant maintenance challenges and is a leading cause of arcing insulators. According to officials, more than two thirds of all arcing insulators occur in this stretch of the Red Line.

Officials said a technique called curtain grouting will be used, in which more than 500 holes will be drilled and injected with high-pressure grout.

The announcement was made shortly after Metro finished its 16-phase safe track program which lasted a year.

It also comes after Metro officials said a distance calculating error caused it to collect nearly $372,000 less than it should have since 2014.