Traffic backed up for more than two hours around some jam-packed, end-of-the-line Metro stations Tuesday morning as hundreds of thousands of people attempted to make their way into the District for President Barack Obama’s inauguration.
Areas experiencing the worst delays between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. were those in and around Metro stations, according to the Maryland State Highway Association. Traffic was especially gridlocked near end-of-the-line stations such as Greenbelt on the Green Line, New Carrollton and Vienna on the Orange Line, and Franconia-Springfield on the Blue Line.
There were reports of delays of up to two hours on Interstate 66 eastbound before the Vienna Metro stop at the end of the Orange Line and on I-95 northbound before the Franconia-Springfield stop at the end of the Blue Line. By 7:45 a.m., traffic had dissipated somewhat as Metro parking lots filled up, said a spokesman for the Maryland State Highway Association, though there was an expected “second wave” of people expected for the inaugural parade Tuesday afternoon.
Otherwise, drivers had an easy drive around the Capital Beltway and major Maryland roads heading into the District, despite several accidents around the region.
At about 5:30 a.m., a Honda Civic collided with a Ford Explorer on the Clara Barton Parkway at Lock 6, according to the U.S. Park Police. The parkway was closed in both directions between the Glen Echo turnaround and Chain Bridge Road at about 7 a.m. as police investigated the crash, which led to a fatality.
Elsewhere, traffic was relatively light just before 9 a.m. on the Capital Beltway and on Connecticut Avenue between the Beltway and Adams Morgan, as well as River Road between the outer loop and the Tenleytown-AU Metro stop.
According to the State Highway Association’s Twitter feed, all lanes on I-70 westbound west of Frederick and southbound I-95 south of Maryland 32 in Howard County were at one point blocked due to crashes. By 10:30 a.m., all lanes had reopened.
