A key component in Metrorail’s Silver Line extension project has reached “substantial completion.”
This means that major construction is complete and operational readiness testing is able to begin, during which the contractor will demonstrate the project’s functionality. It’s a key step toward delivering the new rail line to Metro, according to a news release from the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.
The work on Phase 2, which will extend Metrorail to Dulles International Airport and beyond, was done by Capital Rail Constructors.
“This is a significant step toward completing the 11.5-mile extension that will provide rail service for residents in Reston, Herndon and eastern Loudoun County and give Metro riders direct access to Dulles Airport,” Jack Potter, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, said in a statement. The authority was in charge of the project.
The project has faced a series of construction issues, and back in March, Metro said several items remained unresolved before the transit agency will be satisfied with the work by the Airports Authority and its contractor.
Included in the project is a 90-acre rail maintenance yard at Dulles, which is also nearing completion. The start of service, which has been pushed back several times, won’t be any sooner than January 2022.
The six-station extension will include stations at Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn.
Phase 1 of the Silver Line opened in 2014. It extended Metrorail service from East Falls Church to the eastern edge of Reston.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.
