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The National Park Service is holding off on plans to close a section of the George Washington Parkway for a major construction project, citing the weather.
Rain is in the forecast for Saturday.
The plan was to close the southbound lanes between the Capital Beltway and Route 123 starting this weekend, but officials say they need dry weather for the restriping required for the project.
Instead, the work will begin sometime between April 21 and 24.
When work gets underway, in addition to closing a 3.5-mile stretch of the southbound lanes of the parkway between the Capital Beltway and Route 123 in McLean, the northbound lanes will become reversible.
“Morning peak hours, we’re going to have two lanes going into D.C. (and) one lane coming out. In the afternoon, we’re going to have two lanes coming out of D.C. … we’re going to have one lane going in,” said George Washington Parkway public information officer Mark Maloy earlier this week.
He said this will likely add time to commutes.
“We are expecting delays,” he said, and if possible, travelers should seek an alternate route when the work begins.
The work is part of a $161 million project to improve and beautify the parkway.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.
