In 2019, six stations south of Reagan National Airport were shut down for a whole summer, as Metro remodeled and upgraded station platforms. Now, those same six stations will be closed again for the next six weeks in the name of more improvements.
“The first phase is going to allow us to do a cut-in” for the future Potomac Yard station, Metro General Manager Randy Clarke said Friday.
The work will link the future station to the tracks that already run by it.
“It’s going to be a great anchor station,” said Clarke. “We’re very excited.”
Even when those six stations open back up — they’re set for Oct. 23 — the disruptions won’t end.
The bridge and tunnel that run on the Yellow Line between the Pentagon an L’Enfant Plaza will be undergoing a major repair project, and trains will be detoured through Rosslyn until next summer.
Clarke said it was all being done in the name of safety and reliability. “It’s like a house. If you had a 60-year-old house, you’d probably need to upgrade your kitchen once in a while,” Clarke said.
“Water seepage leads to corrosion,” he said. “That could lead to unfortunate things like tunnel fires or bad track or other incidents.”
“We’ll have no service across the bridge into the city, but the Blue Line will be able to go around. Everyone will still be able to go around. There might be a few minutes longer, but we’re actually adding more service there, as well, to accommodate more trips.”
That repair project is expected to last through May 2023.
