For immediate release: June 2, 2017

Metro completes major escalator replacement project at Woodley Park; set to begin new project at Cleveland Park

Woodley Escalators Complete Metro today completed a major capital project to replace six escalators at Woodley Park Station, including the three longest escalators in the District of Columbia.

Metro's contractor, KONE, replaced the escalators two at a time in succession. The overall project took more than two years to complete, including site preparation, demolition and removal of the old escalators, installation of complex gantries and cranes to move the new escalators and supporting structures into place, as well as testing and tuning.

"Metro's infrastructure is aging and this is another example of the kind of investment that is needed across the system to provide customers with good, safe and reliable service," said Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld. "Before being replaced, these escalators were more than 30 years old and beyond their useful life. With these brand-new escalators customers will see the improvement."

With the completion of the escalators at Woodley Park, construction will begin Monday, June 5, to replace five entrance escalators at Cleveland Park Station. The project is expected to take 20 months to complete. The station's elevators will remain in service for the duration of the project.

Since 2011, Metro has replaced 75 escalators and has rehabilitated more than 150 to like-new condition resulting in greatly improved escalators. During the first three months of 2017, Metro's escalator availability score reached 95 percent, exceeding Metro's target and a six year high of 93.5 percent set last year.

Metro's escalator availability is measured by the amount of time each of Metro's 618 escalators are in service during operating hours and includes those escalators out of service due to inspection, repair, rehabilitation or replacement.