Rockville Canopy Project Delayed, Reopening Expected In January

ROCKVILLE, MD — The project to replace the Rockville Metro station canopy is delayed, and the new anticipated reopening date for the Rockville and Shady Grove stations is sometime in mid-January. The stations were originally scheduled to reopen on Dec. 4. There will be bus shuttles available while the trains are out of service.

The delay is due to a pause in the construction to allow more trains from the Shady Grove Rail Yard into service. In order to do that, the protective construction platform that was built to prohibit trains from passing through at Rockville Station will have to be dismantled and then reassembled after the cars have been moved.

“The trains stored at Shady Grove Rail Yard will provide relief to our system by reducing crowding and wait times for customers, while we continue the work to bring 7000-series trains back into service,” said Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld in a statement.

There is also a "quality control" issue with the glass fiber reinforced concrete panels for the canopy. The Metro said that panels that have already been installed meet the quality controls, but remaining panels had "inconsistent quality" and the Metro is working with the manufacturer.

“Metro is committed to completing the Rockville Canopy Replacement Project with the highest quality materials," Wiedefeld said in the announcement. "It’s more important we get the project done right the first time. We appreciate the community’s patience as we strive to improve the station and make it safer for everyone."