Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) says “unexpected site conditions and remediation efforts” will extend a service shutdown of stations south of Reagan National Airport for two weeks and further delay the opening of Potomac Yard Station.
WMATA says customers can expect free shuttle bus service and free parking at select stations to continue through Nov. 5. The project was originally planned to be completed by Oct. 22 and impacts service on the Metrorail Blue and Yellow lines including Braddock Road, King St-Old Town, Eisenhower Ave., Huntington, Van Dorn St. and Franconia-Springfield stations.
WMATA began work to tie-in new tracks to the Potomac Yard Station and integrate signal systems three weeks ago. The authority explains crews discovered issues with the underlying soil that affected the structural stability of the ground beneath the tracks.
Construction was halted, a remediation plan developed and implemented and track construction and integration has resumed. However, WMATA says reinforcing the ground below the tracks required removing any work already completed, excavating additional soil beneath 1,400 feet of track and installing new subgrade materials to provide the required stability; resulting in the delay.
Potomac Yard Station to open in 2023
The delay has also pushed the opening of the new Potomac Yard Station into 2023. WMATA called the delay regretful and explained it was caused by the contractor failing to meet the project delivery schedule. The authority says it will continue to work with the contractor on an achievable schedule and will provide an update ty the end of the year.
“We are frustrated with these developments on the Potomac Yard Station project," said Executive Vice President of Capital Delivery Andy Off. "The team has been working around the clock to push the project delivery team to perform in accordance with the schedule. Recently, it has become clear that the published schedule will not be met, unfortunately delaying the opening of this important station. On behalf of our customers and the city of Alexandria, we apologize for this inconvenience. We will continue to work as quickly as possible to deliver a high-quality station, and we are doing everything within our power to move the project forward in a safe and responsible way.”
The new station, which sits just south of Reagan National Airport station, was originally supposed to open in April 2022 but was delayed due to a need to redesign the project's Automatic Train Control systems. The $370 million infill station project was initiated by the city of Alexandria and funded through a variety of regional sources including developer contributions generated by new development in the Potomac Yard neighborhood.
Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson called the station’s delays unacceptable and notes the project “requires more intentional oversight by WMATA.” He also says the city requested an assessment of the financial impacts the delays had, and an adjustment be made to benefit the community.
“This latest setback must be met with urgency and significant actions by WMATA and its contractor to recover from the time and money lost. The city of Alexandria has provided specific operational actions to WMATA that we believe will more effectively manage the contractor’s efforts to complete this project in an expedited and efficient manner,” said Mayor Wilson.
The mayor committed the city to working with its partners to ensure alternative travel options are accessible for riders and WMATA committed to working transparently with the city and the project contractor on a resolution to the scheduling issues.
