This article was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
Starting this Sunday, May 7, Metro’s Yellow Line service will resume across the Potomac River, following an eight-month rehabilitation project to repair the deteriorating 1970’s tunnel and bridge.
The reopening, announced last month, will provide a faster, more direct connection for customers between Virginia and downtown D.C., including travel to/from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Metro said in a news release.
Yellow Line trains will initially operate every eight minutes weekdays from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. for the first month between Huntington and Mount Vernon Square, and every 12 minutes all other times and on weekends, a 60% increase in train service than before the closure last fall. In June service will improve to eight minutes all day, seven days a week.
“This was incredibly difficult work, with construction crews working around the clock to reconstruct the steel lined tunnel and repair the bridge. The tunnel today is like new again and built to last for decades to come,” said Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke in news release. “Thank you to our customers who took shuttle buses and endured longer commutes so that we could get this critical safety work completed.”
The Yellow Line has been closed since September to allow for major construction on the tunnel and bridge. The $384 million project included replacing more than 1,000 individual steel plates held together by more than 12,000 bolts and mitigating water intrusion in the tunnel.
“We appreciate the work of our Metro staff, our contractor Kiewit and their subcontractors for their commitment to this project and the coordination of our many regional partners, including the National Park Service to stage equipment and provide access for construction from Hains Point,” said Clarke.
On the 3,000-foot bridge spanning the Potomac River, much of the repairs occurred beneath the bridge. The work required barges and heavy-duty equipment to lift the bridge from the steel girders to remove and replace 88 bearings on the bridge. The project also upgraded the fire suppression system on the bridge and removed and replaced miles of critical communications cables used by multiple regional partners.
During the closure, Yellow Line stations have been served by additional Green Line trains with special Blue Plus service operating between Huntington and New Carrollton. Blue Plus service will be discontinued when the Yellow Line reopens May 7 and free shuttle buses will no longer operate. Metro will continue bus service between Mt. Vernon and Potomac Park (VA-DC Shuttle 3 route) using the existing schedule until new Route 11Y service begins on June 26, 2023. Normal express bus fares will apply.
The Yellow Line Bridge and Tunnel Rehabilitation Project is part of Metro’s investment in system safety, reliability and the region’s economy through a 10-year, $15 billion capital program.
