6 Metro Stations In VA To Close In September For Potomac Yard Project

WASHINGTON, DC — Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is scheduled to begin a months-long construction project on Sept 10 along Metro's Blue and Yellow Lines in the District and Virginia. The repair work is part of Metro's 10-year, $15 billion capital program.

The project will see a rehabilitation of the Yellow Line tunnel and bridge between the L'Enfant Plaza and Pentagon stations. It will also connect the new Potomac Yard Station in Alexandria to the mainline rail system.

The Potomac Yard Station project was initiated by the City of Alexandria and financed through tax revenue and developer contributions based on the anticipated development around the Potomac Yard neighborhood, according to WMATA. This will only be the transit system's second infill station, following the opening of the NoMa-Galludet U Station in 2004.

In preparation for the Potomac Yard Station work, WMATA will be closing six stations on the Yellow and Blue lines south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport from Sept. 10-Oct. 22, according to a post on the project's website. These stations include Braddock Road, King Street-Old Town, Eisenhower Avenue, Huntington, Van Dorn Street, and Franconia-Springfield.

In addition, the Yellow Line tunnel near L'Enfant Plaza and the bridge across the Potomac River will be closed for approximately eight months to allow rehabilitation work.

Refurbishment of the Yellow Line bridge and tunnel is considered critical, according to WMATA. The bridge was built in the 1970s and is supported by box-girder spans and piers. Both the bridge and the steel-lined tunnels have been exposed to moisture for decades. Wear and corrosion have made repairs necessary in order to ensure that the long-term use of the tunnel and bridge.

Yellow Line Bridge/Tunnel Rehabilitation and Potomac Yard Station Timeline:

• Sept. 10 - Oct. 22, 2022: Metrorail service will be closed at the Braddock Road, King Street-Old Town, Eisenhower Avenue, Huntington, Van Dorn Street, and Franconia-Springfield stations to allow for the construction of new track south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to allow work crews to build new track linking to the Potomac Yard Station.
• Sept. 10, 2022 - May 2023: Metrorail service will be stopped between the Pentagon and L'Enfant Plaza stations to allow for work on the Yellow Line tunnel and bridge rehabilitation. Yellow Line stations will be served by the Blue or Green lines.
• Fall 2022: Rail service will resume south of Reagan National Airport on Oct. 23, and no stations will be closed. Potomac Yard Station will open in fall of 2022.
• May 2023: Yellow Line tunnel and bridge improvements completed and Yellow Line service resumes.