11 replies to this topic

[CNJRoss]

WMATA service advisory:

 

Posted: May 05, 2016 Expiration: Jul 01, 2016

 

Dupont Circle & Farragut North Station Chillers Temporarily Out Of Service

 

UPDATED: May 5, 2016

Dupont Circle and Farragut North stations are expected to begin the cooling season (May 15) operating without chilled air service due to a leak in a cooling line off Metro property.

 

Both Dupont Circle and Farragut North stations are cooled by a common chiller plant that is located in the median of Connecticut Avenue opposite the Farragut North L Street entrance. Delivery of chilled air to the stations has been disrupted by a leak in the underground line that runs between the chiller plant and the stations.

 

UPDATE 5/5/16: Permits have been requested to allow Metro's contractors to begin excavation of Connecticut Avenue to inspect and repair a leak in the underground line. If all goes as planned, chiller service is expected to be restored to Dupont Circle & Farragut North by July 1, 2016.

 

UPDATE 8/14/15: Unfortunately, multiple attempts to locate and repair the leak(s) have proven unsuccessful along the 40 year old pipe that provides water to the chiller plant to these two stations. Metro's contractor believes that there may be multiple leaks on the line that are causing it to fail under water-pressure testing. As a result, the chillers are expected to out of service for the remainder of the 2015 season. Metro and its contractor are currently working on solutions to address this aged pipe with the goal of restoring chiller service for the 2016 season.

 

Background
Metro's underground stations are cooled by chilled water air handling units, or "chillers," not air conditioning. The chiller system is designed to reduce temperatures in stations for rider comfort. The hotter the outside air, the less the chillers will be able to do. By design, if the ambient outdoor temperature is 91 degrees, the chillers will bring the station temperature to 85 degrees.

 

We have ensured the tunnel and station ventilation fans are active at the two stations to provide passenger comfort; however, even with these efforts, the stations will seem warmer than usual until repairs are completed. We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

 

[CNJRoss]

WMATA Service Alert:

 

 

Dupont Circle & Farragut North Station Chillers Temporarily Out Of Service (update)

 

UPDATED: July 15, 2016

 

Metro's contractor has completed pressure tests of the pipes under Connecticut Ave NW (off Metro property) that provide chilled air service to Dupont Circle and Farragut North stations. The test results are currently being evaluated to determine next steps. Unfortunately, chilled air service has not yet been restored. We are working with the contractor and other outside parties to resolve this issue as soon as possible. In the meantime, tunnel fans will remain on at all times to provide air circulation to the two stations. We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.

 

[CNJRoss]

WMATA service alert:

 

Dupont Circle & Farragut North Station Chillers Temporarily Out Of Service (update)

 

UPDATED: August 15, 2016

 

Metro’s contractor is continuing work to repair leaks in the pipes under Connecticut Avenue NW that are necessary for cool air service to the stations. Additional parts have been ordered from overseas and we are currently awaiting delivery. Once the parts arrive and are installed, crews will again attempt to pressure-test the pipe. If the test is successful, chilled air service can be restored within days. However, unfortunately, if the pipe continues to fail testing, crews will likely need to excavate Connecticut Avenue NW for further repairs. In that eventuality, chilled air service will not be restored this year.

 

[CNJRoss]

WMATA Service Advisory:

 

Dupont Circle & Farragut North Station Chillers

Advisory Effective: 5/4/17 - 10/31/17

 

Update June 8, 2017

Metro has received all the necessary permits to begin construction to temporarily restore chilled air service to Dupont Circle and Farragut North stations by the end of this month (June 2017).

Installation of the portable 750-ton cooling tower will require excavating a three-foot-deep trench across Connecticut Ave to run approximately 120-125 feet of pipes from the cooling tower located in the service/delivery lane to the chillers that serve the stations.

 

 

The cooling tower will remain in place through the summer and will be removed at the end of the cooling season.

 

Permanent repairs are expected to begin once the design process is completed.

 

 

Update May 4, 2017
Farragut North and Dupont Circle stations currently have no cooling capacity due to the failure of 40-year-old water lines that run under Connecticut Avenue NW and connect the stations' off-site chiller plant (located 40 feet below the median of Connecticut Ave) to a cooling tower located on the roof of a nearby building.

Since 2015, Metro and its contractors have made multiple attempts to repair the pipes, including identifying and patching individual leaks, followed by a complete relining of the pipes from within. Unfortunately, none of the repair strategies applied to date has been successful.

Currently, an independent engineering firm is reviewing the situation to determine the best course of action on a permanent fix, which may involve excavation of Connecticut Avenue NW to allow for complete replacement of the pipes. While that effort is underway, Metro is working cooperatively with the District of Columbia, Golden Triangle BID, and other stakeholders to install temporary cooling equipment while this complicated permanent fix is advanced.

Based on current project timelines, the temporary cooling capacity could be in place as early as June. We should note that, because these cooling lines run under Connecticut Avenue NW, the project may have an impact on motorists. The independent engineering review will identify solutions and strategies that minimize this impact to the extent possible, and we will continue to work with DDOT, Golden Triangle BID, and other stakeholders throughout the project.

 

 

 

 

[CNJRoss]

WTOP radio:

 

Temporary cooling fix in the cards at 2 DC Metro stations for summer

 February 26, 2018

 

 

WASHINGTON — Metro will likely need to use a temporary cooling fix again this summer at Farragut North and Dupont Circle after efforts to repair leaky pipes that kept riders sweating for years had to be put off.

 

“This is a complex project that we have to design and bid and build, so that’s what we’re doing,” General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said.

 

A plan to fix the pipes — which connect the cooling tower on top of a building along Connecticut Avenue to the chiller plant that pumps the cold water through pipes in stations to lower temperatures in the summer — has not moved forward because a solicitation last year failed to lead to a contract.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

The Washington Post, 6/5/18:
 

Metro says permanent relief is coming to two hot Red Line stations

 

 

Metro has secured a permit to install a temporary cooling tower outside Farragut North station, resolving a dispute over the placement of the noisy contraption and ensuring that chilled air will flow to two Red Line stations by next week, the agency said Tuesday. Agency officials said they’ve come up with a permanent solution for the problem they’ve been trying to fix for more than three years.

 

Metro stations are not air-conditioned, but there is a mechanical air-cooling system that has the ability to make the stations about six degrees cooler than the air outside.

 

Farragut North and Dupont Circle stations have not had a reliable chiller for more than three years,  .  .  .

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

WMATA news release:

 

For immediate release: October 26, 2018

Metro to begin installation of new pipes for chilled air service at Dupont Circle and Farragut North stations

 

 

Metro today announced that work to install new pipes under Connecticut Ave NW to provide chilled air service to the Dupont Circle and Farragut North Metrorail stations will begin November 5 and continue through late March (approximately 20 weeks). The work is necessary to reestablish a connection between a remote cooling tower, located atop an office building on Connecticut Avenue, with the two stations.

 

All of Metro’s underground stations are cooled by systems that move cold water to air handling units. As the water passes through the air handling cooling coils, chilled air is produced for the stations.

 

The original pipes under Connecticut Ave NW were damaged or have deteriorated to a point where they are no longer functional. Less intrusive efforts to address the situation have all proven unsuccessful and, for the past two summers, Metro has placed a large temporarily cooling tower on Connecticut Ave NW to prevent the stations from becoming dangerously hot. The temporary cooling tower will no longer be needed once permanent repairs are completed.

 

The project will take place in three phases: During the first phase of the project, expected to last two weeks, crews will work between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., resulting in partial lane closures on Connecticut Ave between Desales and L streets NW to prepare for excavation work. In the second phase, crews will work around the clock to excavate beneath Connecticut Avenue and prepare for the installation of new pipes. Finally, in the third phase, crews will work overnight only to install new pipes beneath the roadway.

 

In addition, on Saturday, November 10, Metro will use a crane to lift pipes to the rooftop cooling tower in the 1100 block of Connecticut Avenue, which will result in the temporary closure of the bike lane on L Street.

 

Metro, along with its contractor and the District of Columbia, will work to complete the project as quickly as possible to minimize the impact to the community and restore chilled air service for the start of the cooling season in May.

 

 

[CNJRoss]

WTOP radio 6/29/19
 

A lamppost could be why you’re sweating a bunch at 2 Metro platforms

 

 

In the middle of a heat wave, there is no relief for Metro riders at Dupont Circle and Farragut North.

 

“It’s quite miserable,” Riders’ Advisory Council Vice Chair Andrew Kierig said Thursday.

 

While Metro management had been optimistic in April that repairs on the stations’ chiller system would be complete by now, Metro failed to notice a lamppost that was in the way along Connecticut Avenue Northwest near Farragut North.

 

Dealing with the lamppost — which Metro spokesperson Dan Stessel said was not listed on design plans — required additional approvals from the District.

 

“Work has resumed on an accelerated schedule and is expected to be completed by the end of July,” Metro’s Ian Jannetta said in an email.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

WTOP radio 7/31/19

Farragut North, Dupont Metro chiller repairs delayed again

 

 

Red Line riders at Dupont Circle and Farragut North will have to wait at least a few more weeks for relief on the steamy platforms. Years of repair efforts have been delayed again, Metro acknowledged late Tuesday.

 

“While the project has advanced to its final stage, the contractor has encountered several delays due to unexpected utilities and other obstructions (unmarked on engineering drawings) that required design changes,” Metro said in a statement.

 

The work has continued to block a lane on Connecticut Avenue Northwest.

 

“New pipe fittings to accommodate these design changes have been ordered and are expected to arrive in one to two weeks. As a result, the estimated completion date is now mid-August,” the statement said.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

The Washington Post, 8/8/19
 

At sweltering Dupont Circle station, a doctor worries about those who sweat too much — including himself

 

 

It wasn’t quite as bad as descending into the fires of hell.

 

But as Adam Friedman began riding down the escalator into the Dupont Circle Metro station during Monday’s afternoon rush hour, he moaned a bit: “It’s been HOT."

 

SNIP

 

 

Metro says it’s finally on the verge of replacing the aging pipes that haven’t been able to cool the Dupont or Farragut North stations since they sprang leaks in 2015. Stations rely on a system that pipes water to and from a cooling tower, rather than conventional air conditioning, to lower the air temperature by up to six degrees.

 

If the work is finished soon, it will finally bring some relief to commuters whose blood has boiled at the slow pace of repairs.

 

More here.