ALEXANDRIA, Va (WUSA9) — The major announcement of Metro’s longest ever shutdown left riders with questions.
The reconstruction plan was created to fix 20 train station platforms over the course of three years.
The estimated $400 million project will start next summer in Northern Virginia.
The plan isn't about what is on top, but instead, what is underneath of people’s feet: deteriorating concrete that could soon become “unstable or collapse.”
“So, you would rather them do it now than to wait for something drastic to happen,” one rider told WUSA9.
According to Metro, the following six stations will close in 2019 from Memorial Day to Labor Day:
- Braddock Road
- King Street
- Eisenhower Avenue
- Huntington
- Van Dorn Street
- Franconia-Springfield
“I use it to go lots of places right now,” said Rosalind Bates, who lives in Mt. Vernon.
WUSA9 had three main questions for WMATA regarding the closures.
#1 -- How long did Metro know this was a problem?
A spokesperson said many of the outdoor stations have been exposed to the elements for more than 40 years.
Metro said the concrete is nearing the end of its lifespan, and it has known about it for some time.
The transportation agency had been waiting on recently-promised dedicated funding to fix the problem.
“The platform up there has been disintegrating for the last five or six years. I wondered why they weren’t being repaired,” Marya Fitzgerald said.
#2 -- Are riders in danger right now?
WMATA said it installed temporary fixes at some stations.
“We have installed temporary shoring devices or braces to prop up the platforms until reconstruction can take place. These platforms are now inspected every 90 days,” explained Sherri Ly, media relation manager with WMATA.
On an average weekday last year, more than 26,700 people boarded trains at the six stations that will be shut down.
That statistic led us to our 3rd question.
#3 -- How will thousands of people get to and from where they need to go?
As of right there, there is no existing plan, according to WMATA.
“For context, next summer, six stations will be closed while 85 other stations will remain open. We are working with our jurisdictional partners to develop mitigation strategies and good options to accommodate affected customers during the platform reconstruction,” Ly explained.
The transportation agency is working on a strategy to include free local and express shuttle buses, using dedicated bus lanes and coordinating with other transportation providers.
For people catching the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) trains, Metro said that service will not be affected because the service uses separate stations and platforms.
The platform reconstruction plan will be presented Thursday at the Metro Board of Directors committee meeting.
