It’s taken 13 years of construction – 4 years of which included frustrating delays – but on November 15th, the second half of Washington D.C.’s Metro’s Silver Line in Northern Virginia will finally open.
The first phase of construction started in 2009 and was completed in 2014. Construction on the Silver Line Extension was supposed to begin as soon as the first phase was done, but instead started 4 years late, thanks to political infighting and numerous setbacks that included issues with flawed construction materials. But after shifting stormwater management requirements, falsified testing of troublesome concrete panels (followed by a $1 million settlement), the conviction of a subcontractor’s former manager on a wire fraud charge and a work stoppage over cracks in the concrete girders that support elevated tracks near the Dulles Airport station, the $3 billion project will finally connect Metrorail customers to Washington Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County for the first time.
Officials were so excited about it that they made a video. The ending is very cute (and apropos).
On opening day, customers who visit the six new Silver Line stations:
- Reston Town Center
- Herndon
- Innovation Center
- Washington Dulles International Airport
- Loudoun Gateway
- Ashburn
…will be greeted by Metro teams who will be handing out commemorative pennants (that’s been a Metro tradition that started when the first station opened back in 1976).
Here’s a map of Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project:
And how the completed Silver line will fit in with the rest of the Metro map:
This final segment provides a long-awaited connection to Washington Dulles International Airport. It will give visitors a direct connection to destinations around the region and will be a short walk from the baggage claim via an underground tunnel in less than five minutes.
The project achieved its Operational Readiness Date (ORD) on June 23, 2022. Since then, Metro has been testing the new tracks and equipment, and training staff at the stations, rail yard, and maintenance facilities in preparation for opening to the public.
Feature Photo: Swagging / Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 4.0
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1 comment
Good news for sure. These days it’s tough to claim to be a quality airport in a major city without a rail connection into town.