Five stations on the east end of Metro’s Red Line will shut down this summer for work to connect the Purple Line light-rail project to the system at Silver Spring.
Metro leaders discussed the closure during a meeting Thursday.
Starting in early June, Red Line service will shut down from Fort Totten to Glenmont. The Fort Totten, Wheaton, Forest Glen and Silver Spring stations will remain closed until around Labor Day in September. The Takoma station will reopen sooner, but Metro has yet to determine exact dates, according to a spokesperson for the transit agency.
The closure will allow the Maryland Transit Administration access to construct the Purple Line mezzanine at Silver Spring. The 16-mile light-rail line is projected to start serving passengers in 2027.
“Not only that, having the shutdown between Glenmont and Fort Totten actually gives us the opportunity to take care of a lot of infrastructure work that needs to be done in the area,” said Nathan Williams, vice president of work planning and maintenance improvements at Metro.
Some of that additional work includes leak mitigation, automatic train control system replacements, traction power cables installation and elevator and escalator maintenance.
Shuttle bus service will be provided, the specifics of which are still being worked out, according to Williams.
The MTA will pay for all support costs surrounding the shutdown, including additional bus service, setup and takedown of the project area, Williams said.
Metro leaders discussed other major upcoming disruptions on its rail system Thursday, including winter work from the Foggy Bottom-GWU to L’Enfant Plaza stations, summer 2025 work from the King Street to Franconia-Springfield stations, and summer 2025 work from the Congress Heights to Branch Avenue stations.
The transit agency is weighing various ways to accommodate those projects, including complete shutdowns, weekend shutdowns, weekend single-tracking and early station closures.
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