Navy Yard Half Street entrance reopens one month early, restoring full access for customers
Today, Metro reopened the Navy Yard west entrance on Half Street 33 days ahead of schedule and on budget, ahead of peak spring event traffic. The entrance had been closed since Oct. 1, 2025, while crews simultaneously replaced the two mezzanine escalators and the three west entrance escalators. The west entrance elevator is also now back in service, improving accessibility.
The new transit-grade escalators feature brighter LED lighting, remote monitoring capabilities, and energy-efficient motors. These features are beneficial for a set of escalators that move large volumes of customers during busy game days and events.
“Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our team, Navy Yard station is prepared to safely and efficiently move thousands of fans in time for the upcoming baseball season at Nationals Park and the new soccer season at Audi Field,” said Metro Executive Vice President and Chief Infrastructure Officer Theresa M. Impastato. “We appreciate our customers’ patience during the extended entrance closure and look forward to delivering an improved experience for everyone traveling through the station.”
Metro previously completed the replacement of all four east entrance escalators.
As of February, Metro has replaced 135 of 145 escalators as part of its multi-year project. The following escalators have been replaced in the last year: Dupont Circle south entrance, Vienna, L’Enfant Plaza east entrance, Franconia-Springfield, Pentagon north entrance, Medical Center, Crystal City, and Navy Yard east and west entrances. Stations scheduled for escalator replacement in 2026 include Rosslyn, Gallery Place, L’Enfant Plaza west entrance, and Foggy Bottom.
About Metro
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), known as Metro, is the region’s leading public transportation provider, serving a population of approximately four million people across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia within a 2,054-square-mile jurisdiction. With a network of six rail lines, 98 stations, 126 bus routes, and a door-to-door paratransit service, Metro is the second busiest transit system in the United States serving 268.9 million trips in 2025 with a $5 billion operating and capital budget. Since 2022, Metro has completed multiple transit-oriented development projects that have brought $15 million in tax revenue to the region from housing, office, and retail space in our community. Safety and security are core values at Metro. Over 30,000 cameras monitor the system, and Metro currently has the lowest crime rate in history with fare evasion on rail and bus declining. In 2025, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) named Metro the Transit Agency of the Year in recognition of industry-leading ridership growth, record high customer satisfaction, a newly redesigned Bus network, expanded rail service, and improved customer experience.