Passengers on Metro’s Blue and Yellow lines are in for a rude adjustment beginning September 10, when the transit authority will kick off a major construction project that officials expect to last into May 2023. In preparation, Metro officials are telling customers “to plan now.”
The multifaceted project, one designed to improve conditions ahead of the opening of the Potomac Yard Station and give the Yellow Line tunnel and bridge a much-needed facelift, will undergo its first phase from September 10 to October 22. During that time, all six stations south of Reagan National Airport — Braddock Road, King Street, Van Dorn Street, Franconia-Springfield, Eisenhower Avenue, and Huntington — will be closed.
Those stations will reopen after that six-week shutdown, once the Potomac Yard Station is connected to the route’s existing tracks. The Yellow line, however, will remain shuttered until extensive repairs on the tunnel and bridge are completed.
Trains that traditionally operate on the line will be rerouted through Rosslyn instead, according to a WMATA announcement. To alleviate some of the burden, Blue and Green Line trains are expected to increase daily route numbers, though officials did warn that “customers traveling between Pentagon and L’Enfant Plaza stations should plan on approximately 15 minutes of extra travel time.”
Those passengers who use the six imminently closing stations will be provided free “bus shuttles, free parking, and other convenient travel alternatives, including additional Blue and Green line service to keep customers moving,” the Metro release confirmed.
Additionally, between September 10 and October 22, free parking and Metroway bus service will be available at Franconia-Springfield, Huntington, and Van Dorn Street stations. The Virginia Railway Express, or VRE, will also be offering cost-free service at the affected stations. Non-rider parking fees at Franconia-Springfield will be waived during the project.
For a full schedule of the construction project, as well as information regarding free shuttle availability during Phase One and Two of the project, passengers should visit Metro’s Yellow Line Tunnel and Bridge Rehabilitation Project page.
Feature image courtesy of WMATA
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