Metro News Release
For immediate release: June 16, 2004
Metro announces upcoming weekend track work to support the Blue Line extension to Largo
Weekend track will shut down a portion of the Blue Line
In preparation for the opening of the Blue Line extension to Largo, MD, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) will conduct a major track circuit project this weekend on the Blue Line between Stadium Armory and Addison Road-Seat Pleasant resulting in a partial shutdown of the Blue Line. To minimize customer inconvenience, this major extension project will occur over weekends this spring and summer, and customers are advised to plan accordingly.
The tentative schedule for this weekend work is:
Blue Line Extension to Largo - Track Circuit Enhancements When: Friday, June 18, 9 p.m., to Monday, June 21, 5:30 a.m. This weekend, Metro personnel will install new track circuits to control train operations from Stadium Armory through the Addison Road-Seat Pleasant Metrorail station. This work must be done because when the Addison Road-Seat Pleasant station was constructed, the automatic train control and track systems were not designed with extending rail service beyond Addison Road-Seat Pleasant.
To perform this work, Metro will institute the following weekend service patterns: All Metrorail Blue Line service will be suspended between Stadium- Armory and Addison Road-Seat Pleasant, resulting in the closure of the Benning Road, Capitol Heights, and Addison Road-Seat Pleasant Metrorail stations during the dates and times outlined above. Metrorail Blue Line service will operate only between Franconia-Springfield and Stadium-Armory.
Metro will run up to 20 free shuttle buses operating every five minutes between Stadium-Armory and Addison Road-Seat Pleasant with stops at the Benning Road and Capitol Heights Metrorail stations. Customers who normally board at Benning Road and Capitol Heights will need to take a free shuttle bus from those stations to either Stadium-Armory or Addison Road-Seat Pleasant, depending on their direction of travel.
To alert customers about this work, regular station and train announcements will be made throughout the Metrorail system. Additional information will be available on Metro’s Web site at www.metroopensdoors.com.
"We recognize the inconvenience this phase of work will cause and we are sorry for causing these delays," said Colin Myers, Project Manager for the construction of the Largo extension. "However, we wish to remind our customers that we will be there for them, and provide free shuttle bus service between Stadium Armory and Addison Road-Seat Pleasant. It may take customers slightly longer to get to where they are going, but they will arrive at their destinations safely. We want our customers to know how much we appreciate their patience as we continue the next phase of work as we prepare to open these two new stations."
The 3.1 mile, two-station, $456 million extension of the Blue Line from the current Addison Road-Seat Pleasant Metro station to the Largo Town Center with an intermediate station at Morgan Boulevard achieves a number of "firsts" in Metrorail history: It is the first segment to be added to the 103-mile adopted regional system, bringing it to a total of 106.1 miles; and it’s the first of four segments of the Metrorail system in Prince George’s County, MD, to extend beyond the Capital Beltway. The Ride Guide, located on Metro’s Web site, will not reflect the impact of this track work on its schedules. Customers should allow more time for their trips because of this work. For more information on traveling by Metrobus or Metrorail, customers may call (202) 637-7000 or TTY (202) 638-3780.
News release issued on June 16, 2004.