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[CNJRoss]

WMATA news release:

Metro prepares for busy tourist season, announces capital project schedule for second half of 2018

 

 

Metro is preparing for the upcoming tourist season, with a spring break from daytime track work over the four weekends of the 2018 Cherry Blossom Festival, the transit agency announced today. Metro will also suspend track work during the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in March and Major League Baseball's All-Star Week in July. In addition, Metro is rescheduling a capital project that had been planned outside Huntington Station in May, and today announced its schedule for four capital improvements in the latter half of the year.

 

"We're gearing up for the busy tourism season and, for many visitors, Metro is the best way to get to all the attractions," said Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld. "We have made significant improvements in getting Metro back to good and want visitors to know that Metro is a convenient, affordable option to get around."

 

Here is a summary of Metro track work suspensions in support of major community events through July:

• Metro will suspend daytime track work on Saturday, March 10, for the benefit of participants and spectators attending the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. Trains will run normally on all lines throughout the morning and afternoon hours.
• Visitors attending the National Cherry Blossom Festival will enjoy four consecutive weekends free of daytime track work from Saturday, March 24, through Sunday, April 15, when weekend ridership can nearly double. Normal weekend service will run on all lines throughout the day and evening hours. Metro may schedule some track work after 10 p.m. when ridership is extremely light.
• On July 4, all evening track work will be suspended to accommodate visitors attending the fireworks display on the National Mall and other events throughout the region.
• Also in July, Washington, DC, will host Major League Baseball's All-Star Game. During All-Star Week, July 13-17, Metro will suspend all scheduled maintenance to accommodate fans attending the festivities.

 

There are no capital projects that will impact riders during the spring and most of the summer. Work originally scheduled for May 12-27 that would have closed the Huntington and Eisenhower stations is being rescheduled to 2019 to better coordinate with other capital work in the area.

 

Today, Metro also announced four capital improvement projects in the second half of the year that will impact service for some customers. The projects, which are necessary to ensure continued safe and reliable operations, are being scheduled during times of the year when ridership is lighter to minimize customer inconvenience. Due to the "heavy construction" nature of capital work, these projects will, in many cases, impact service levels at all times of the day.

 

  CAPITAL PROJECTS - July through December 2018 Red Line Saturday, July 21 - Labor Day, Monday, September 3

Immediately following All-Star Week, Metro will return to Rhode Island Avenue Station to complete necessary structural repair work that begun during SafeTrack. Rhode Island Avenue Station was closed on an emergency basis in 2016 when concrete fell from the aerial structure. Metro engineers stabilized the structure and advanced as much remediation work as possible during a SafeTrack surge in 2016. This 45-day project will allow crews to complete structural repairs at Metro's oldest outdoor station, including addressing deteriorating platform conditions that affect the ADA-accessibility of the station.

• Rhode Island Ave and Brookland stations closed.
• No Red Line service between Fort Totten and NoMa-Gallaudet stations; use Green Line as alternate.
• Shuttle buses provide service between Fort Totten, Brookland, Rhode Island Ave, and NoMa-Gallaudet stations. Red Line trains will operate in two segments: between Shady Grove & NoMa-Gallaudet and between Fort Totten & Glenmont.
• Rush Hour Promise will remain in effect for most rail customers; however, certain Red Line trips will be excluded due to service adjustments. Additional details and service information will be announced in Spring 2018.

Blue Line Orange Line Silver Line Saturday, August 11 - Sunday, August 26

For 16 consecutive days (including 10 commuting days) when ridership is lightest in August, Metro will address the tightest curve in the entire Metrorail system between McPherson Square and Smithsonian Stations. Working around the clock, crews will rebuild the track infrastructure, including installation of new rail, new fasteners, and repairs to the concrete pads that support the rails. Crews will work on each track for approximately one week at a time so that single-track service can be maintained. 24/7 work zone with single tracking between McPherson Square and Smithsonian.

• Significantly reduced service on Orange, Blue and Silver lines. Service patterns will be altered (details to be announced).
• Rush Hour Promise will not be in effect for trips on the Blue, Orange or Silver lines during this time, but will remain in effect for customers on other lines. Additional details and service information will be announced in Summer 2018.

Blue Line Yellow Line Friday, November 2 - Monday, November 5

Over a four-day period in early November, including two commuting days, Metro will improve/upgrade several switches outside Reagan National Airport, as well as install new concrete pads beneath the rails along the aerial structure at the airport station.

• Reagan National Airport and Crystal City stations closed.
• Free shuttle buses replace trains between Braddock Rd and Pentagon City.
• Rush Hour Promise will not be in effect for trips on the Yellow and Blue lines on Friday, November 2, or Monday, November 5, but will remain in effect for customers on other lines. Additional details and service information will be announced in Summer 2018.

Yellow Line Monday, November 26 - Sunday, December 9

Immediately following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Metro will begin a continuous 14-day capital project on the Yellow Line bridge over the Potomac River. The project will include structural repairs, and rail infrastructure improvements, such as grout pad reconstruction and fastener replacement along the entire bridge.

• No Yellow Line Service between Virginia and DC; use Blue Line as alternate.
• Yellow Line service will run between Huntington and Reagan National Airport only.
• Rush Hour Promise will not be in effect for trips on the Yellow and Blue lines during this time, but will remain in effect for customers on other lines. Additional details and service information will be announced in Fall 2018.

During FY2018, Metro's capital program is investing a record $1.25 billion in projects that directly improve the safety and reliability of the transit system, including new railcars, major track and infrastructure improvements, rehabilitation of platforms and structures, installation of a new radio system and cellular system upgrades, new elevator and escalators, improved station lighting, and a robust preventive maintenance program.

 

[CNJRoss]

WTOP radio 2/13/18:

 

Part of Red Line to shut down for all of August; more new Metro shutdowns announced

February 13, 2018 3:38 pm

 

WASHINGTON — Metro’s Red Line will be shut down through two stations for the entire month of August, as well as part of July and September, the transit agency said Tuesday.

 

From Saturday, July 21, through Labor Day, Sept. 3, there will be no trains for 45 days at Rhode Island Avenue or Brookland-CUA.

The shutdown is required because of major structural problems at the Rhode Island Avenue Station for the platform and the bridge structure, Metro said. Metro did emergency repairs there in September 2016.

 

Continue here.

 

Cross posted:  WMATA Rhode Island Ave station structural damage

[CNJRoss]

WMATA news release:

 

For immediate release: June 20, 2018

 

Metro reminds customers of upcoming summer improvement projects that will affect rail service

 

 

 

Metro is reminding customers to plan for two upcoming summer capital improvement projects to keep Metro on its current path of improved safety and reliability. The work will impact customers who use the Red, Orange, Blue and Silver lines.

 

During the 10 commuting days of the Orange, Blue and Silver line work in particular, customers who use these lines are being encouraged to plan alternate routes now and use Metro only if absolutely necessary.

 

Metro announced both projects in February, scheduling the work for late summer when ridership is generally lighter.

 

One month from today, following Major League Baseball's All-Star Week, Metro will close two stations on the Red Line - Rhode Island Ave and Brookland - to complete structural repairs at Rhode Island Ave, Metro's oldest outdoor station. The work will begin Saturday, July 21, and continue through Labor Day, Monday, September 3. The structural work cannot be completed while trains are running on either track and will resolve platform conditions that affect the alignment between the platform and trains, presenting challenges for customers with disabilities.

 

Metro and the District Department of Transportation have worked together to develop a comprehensive alternate transportation plan that includes operating MetroExtra G9 service during all hours of the rail system, seven days a week, and using a dedicated bus lane along Rhode Island Avenue NE to provide a faster trip to and from Downtown DC.

 

Red Line customers are advised:

• Rhode Island Avenue and Brookland stations will be closed for 45 days, from July 21 through September 3.
• There will be no Red Line service between Fort Totten and NoMa-Gallaudet U stations. Red Line customers should transfer to Green or Yellow line trains between Fort Totten and Gallery Place to avoid the work zone. Metro will add capacity to the Green/Yellow lines to accommodate Red Line riders, including running some Yellow Line trains to/from Greenbelt. During rush hours, Red Line trains will operate every 6 minutes between Shady Grove and NoMa-Gallaudet, and every 10 minutes between Glenmont and Fort Totten.
• For customers traveling to/from Brookland or Rhode Island Ave stations, free shuttle buses will provide alternate service between Fort Totten, Brookland, Rhode Island Ave, and NoMa-Gallaudet U stations. In addition, Metro will operate express shuttles between Brookland and Rhode Island Ave and the areas of Metro Center, Gallery Place and Union Station.
• MetroExtra G9 will operate at all hours the rail system is open, seven days per week, connecting Rhode Island Ave with Downtown DC and other rail and bus lines.
• To reduce travel times, Metro has received approval from the District Department of Transportation to use a new dedicated bus lane along Rhode Island Ave. NE for MetroExtra G9 from North Capitol St. to 12th St. NE. The lane will operate Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Rush Hour Promise will not be in effect for trips to or from stations between Glenmont and NoMa-Gallaudet U. The program will remain in effect for Red Line travel between Shady Grove and NoMa-Gallaudet U.

The second capital project will impact all Blue, Orange and Silver line riders for 10 commuting days in August as Metro completely rebuilds the sharpest and most heavily traveled curve in the Metrorail system, located between Metro Center and Smithsonian stations. Customers who normally use these lines are strongly encouraged to use alternate transportation during these days, as rail service will be significantly reduced.

 

Beginning Saturday, August 11, and continuing through Sunday, August 26, Metro crews will work around the clock to rebuild the rail infrastructure in the curve, including the installation of new rail, fasteners, and repair concrete pads that support the rails. During this time, Orange and Silver line trains will run only once every 20 minutes at all times of the day with single tracking in effect between McPherson Square and Smithsonian. The Blue Line will run only in Virginia between Franconia-Springfield and Arlington Cemetery, and customers traveling between Virginia and DC will need to use Yellow Line trains to cross the Potomac River.

 

Blue, Orange and Silver line customers are advised:

• The capital improvement project will run from Saturday, August 11, through Sunday, August 26. For 10 commuting days, all Orange, Silver and Blue line customers are encouraged to use alternate transportation, as rail service will be significantly reduced.
• Orange and Silver line trains will single track between McPherson Square and Smithsonian, with trains running only every 20 minutes at all times of the day.
• During rush hours, additional Yellow Line trains will operate every 16 minutes between Franconia-Springfield and Greenbelt, in addition to Blue Line trains running every 16 minutes between Franconia-Springfield and Arlington Cemetery.
• Rush Hour Promise will not be in effect for trips on the Blue, Orange or Silver lines.

As a reminder, Metro in February also announced two smaller capital improvement projects that are scheduled to begin in November:

 

Friday, November 2 - Monday, November 5

• A four-day project (impacting two commuting days) to upgrade switches outside Reagan National Airport and install new concrete pads beneath the rails along the aerial structure at the airport station.
• Reagan National Airport and Crystal City stations will be closed.

Monday, November 26 - Sunday, December 9

• A two-week closure (impacting 10 commuting days) of the Yellow Line bridge to make structural repairs and rail infrastructure improvements, including grout pad reconstruction and fastener replacement.
• There will be no Yellow Line service between Virginia and DC. Yellow Line trains will run between Huntington and Reagan National Airport only.