The last leg of the Silver Line is on track to open in 2022, but it’s not going to be at the start of the year.
The earliest the Metrorail extension from Reston to Ashburn could open to passengers is late spring, Marcia McAllister, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s Dulles Metrorail spokeswoman, said Thursday.
This long-delayed 11.4-mile phase of the Silver Line will add six new Metrorail stations at Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Dulles International Airport, Loudoun Gateway, and Ashburn, plus a new service and inspection yard. The project may not be on time, but it does remain within its $2.778 billion budget thanks to some contingency funds, per MWAA, which is overseeing its construction.
Meanwhile, a new issue has emerged. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority described it as failures of heat tape, which prevents ice buildup on the electrified third rail during precipitation. During testing of the 500 heat tape segments, 16 failed…
Read the full story from the Washington Business Journal.
