Red Line riders at Dupont Circle and Farragut North will have to wait at least a few more weeks for relief on the steamy platforms. Years of repair efforts have been delayed again, Metro acknowledged late Tuesday.
“While the project has advanced to its final stage, the contractor has encountered several delays due to unexpected utilities and other obstructions (unmarked on engineering drawings) that required design changes,” Metro said in a statement.
The work has continued to block a lane on Connecticut Avenue Northwest.
“New pipe fittings to accommodate these design changes have been ordered and are expected to arrive in one to two weeks. As a result, the estimated completion date is now mid-August,” the statement said.
The pipes that circulate cooled water into the stations have been broken since at least 2015, when Metro described significant leaks. The corroded pipes are supposed to connect the two stations to a cooling tower on the roof of a building on Connecticut Avenue above Farragut North and a chiller plant under the Connecticut Avenue median.
A temporary cooling tower was in place for the second consecutive year during part of last summer, but was removed this year due to concerns about the location and because Metro had hoped to have permanent repairs done before the worst summer heat waves.
“We regret any inconvenience or discomfort caused by the ongoing pipe repairs. Metro will continue to run tunnel fans to provide air movement in the stations until the chiller system is returned to service,” Metro’s statement said.
Metro did complete repairs to Union Station’s chiller system a little over a week ago. It was down for a few weeks.
