Metro Adjusts Routes for Cherry Blossom Festival
D10 and D1X buses detour on Pennsylvania Avenue April 11-12 for cherry festival
DC Metro Reroutes D10, D1X Buses for Cherry Festival
Washington Metro riders using Pennsylvania Avenue bus routes should plan for detours this weekend as the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival closes several downtown streets. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced the D10 and D1X routes will detour from Saturday, April 11 at 3am through Sunday, April 12 at 11:59pm. The changes affect both eastbound and westbound service on Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd and 13th Streets NW.
Festival Requires Major Street Closures
The Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival celebrates Washington's iconic cherry blossoms with a full weekend of cultural programming in Northwest Washington. Festival organizers will close 4th Street from Madison Drive to Pennsylvania Avenue, 6th Street from C Street to Constitution Avenue, Constitution Avenue from 3rd to 7th Streets, and Pennsylvania Avenue from 3rd to 7th Streets. Metro officials said the bus detours are necessary to accommodate these street closures while maintaining service to riders traveling through the area. The festival typically draws tens of thousands of visitors to the National Mall area each spring.
Detour Routes Vary by Direction
The D10 Pennsylvania Avenue eastbound route to Southern Avenue will detour via 13th Street NW at E Street, then resume regular service on Pennsylvania Avenue SE at 6th Street. Westbound D10 service to Kennedy Center will detour on Pennsylvania Avenue SE at 6th Street before resuming regular routing on 13th Street NW at G Street. The D1X Pennsylvania Avenue Limited will operate shortened service between Naylor Road Station and a temporary terminus at Pennsylvania Avenue SE at 8th Street, stop ID 1000654. Metro didn't specify how many trips will be affected or whether service frequency will change during the detour period.
Weekend-Long Service Changes
The detours take effect at 3am Saturday, April 11, 2026, and continue through 11:59pm Sunday, April 12. Regular service will resume after midnight Monday morning once festival street closures are lifted. Metro officials advised riders to allow extra travel time during the festival weekend and plan alternative routes if possible.
Riders Should Plan Ahead
Metro officials urged passengers to plan ahead and expect delays throughout the festival weekend. The agency said riders can check real-time service updates and plan trips around the detours, though officials didn't specify how much additional travel time riders should expect. Moovit provides real-time updates for WMATA bus routes, including detour information and alternative travel options during service changes.
