Metro Delays Potomac Yard Station Opening, Extends Closures South Of National Airport

[mahatmakanejeeves]

That building with the blue awnings is the Kaiser Permanente where I went yesterday afternoon to pick up a prescription. After that, I walked over to the Giant, which is hidden by the tall buildings behind Kaiser Permanente.

3:44 PM

Metro Delays Potomac Yard Station Opening, Extends Closures South Of National Airport

Callan Tansill-Suddath | https://twitter.com/TansillSuddath



An aerial view of the new Potomac Yard station. A months-long shutdown is needed to tie the new system into the main line and address another bridge project.
City of Alexandria

Metro is Metro-ing again.

The transit agency announced Friday that it will extend the closure of six stations south of National Airport for two more weeks, to Nov. 5. The stations had been slated to close for more than a month so Metro could do the work of integrating track, power, and signal systems for the new Potomac Yard station, scheduled to open this fall.

Potomac Yard has been in the works for nearly 20 years — and it looks like we’ll all have to wait a little longer. Given unexpected delays, Metro said, the new station won’t welcome riders until sometime in 2023.

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Metro has discovered unstable soil conditions in areas where crews were meant to build new tracks and integrate power, communications, and signal systems, the agency said. Metro attributed the delay, in part, to “the contractor’s failure to meet the project delivery schedule,” but said it would continue to work with the contractor.

All these conditions have pushed the reopen of the six stations another three weeks past the original date of Oct. 22. Shuttle bus service will continue to be provided through the new reopen date. If you need a rundown of all your shuttle bus schedules and options, see here.

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