After pushing back the launch date twice, Metro now says the Potomac Yard Metro station will open in May 2023.
The station, located in Alexandria, Virginia, near the sprawling Amazon headquarters development, was originally supposed to open this past April.
“We are excited to have an opening in sight for Potomac Yard Station,” Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said in a Tuesday statement announcing the new timeline.
“Our team, the City of Alexandria, and contractors are working hard to complete the station and we look forward to providing new transit service to this rapidly developing area.”
The station sits between the Reagan National Airport and Braddock Road stations on the Blue and Yellow lines.
The most recent delay stemmed from soil problems. Metro said crews completing construction work to tie in the new track had discovered soil issues that affected the structural stability of the ground beneath the tracks, forcing crews to reinforce the ground beneath 1,400 feet of track.
The work to tie the new station and tracks in with the rest of the system finished up early last month, Metro said Tuesday, and trains are now passing through the station without stopping.
Metro also laid out a seven-step timeline for opening the station, including finishing construction; completing building inspections; running simulated service; and getting sign-off from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission.
In the summer of 2021, Metro officials announced the first delay in opening the new station, due to design flaws in a critical safety system.
The project is funded by Alexandria tax revenues and developer contributions stemming from planned development in the Potomac Yard neighborhood.
Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson has been sharply critical of the project’s previous delays, calling them “unacceptable” and demanding better oversight by Metro.
Metro estimates the new station will eventually support 26,000 jobs and 13,000 new residents.
