WASHINGTON — Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) workers will shut down the Metro's Red Line stations from Farragut North to Judiciary Square later this year to make needed repairs. The shutdown will happen around the holiday season, when Metro sees a decrease in ridership.
In a meeting Monday, Metro's Chief Infrastructure Officer Andy Off said the shutdown is necessary because of the scope of the work, which is described as structural issues that span both tracks, specifically a massive concrete beam needs to be replaced.
"In the way that it's oriented above the tracks, there's no way to do that type of work without any of the one tracks being in service," Off said.
He said Metro has tried to figure out how to make the repairs without a shutdown, but that was not possible due to the size of the beam and the work needed to repair it.
As a result of the repairs, the Red Line will be closed from Dupont Circle and Gallery Place between Dec. 18 and Dec. 30. Farragut North and Metro Center (upper level) will be closed.
Then, from Dec. 22 through Dec. 24, Metro will extend the work zone with no Red Line service between Dupont Circle and Union Station. Judiciary Square Station will be closed and Red Line service will be unavailable at Gallery Place. The Gallery Place entrance at Ninth & G streets Northwest will also be closed.
Metro Center and Gallery Place will remain open for Blue, Orange and Silver Line trains, as well as Green and Yellow Line trains.
Off said the winter shutdown in the core of the system was decided on because around the holidays, Metro sees approximately 40% less ridership than a normal week.
While work is being done to repair and replace the beam, other work will also be done to take advantage of the shutdown.
That work includes track and structure repairs, replacing switch machines, installing radio fiber optic cable, elevator and escalator maintenance and platform edge lighting replacement.
Metro is expected to release more details about the planned shutdown, what it means for commuters, and travel alternatives in October.
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