Metro riders in the Virginia and Maryland suburbs may need to rethink their commutes this summer.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority says maintenance work at certain stations will impact service Orange, Silver and Green lines for up to several weeks, WMATA announced Tuesday.
The closures will allow “maintenance and modernization” including rail replacement, fiber optic cable installation, improved station facilities and upgraded customer information displays. The work is scheduled for the summer when ridership is typically lower, WMATA said.
Metro says it will release information on alternatives in the weeks before the closures begin. In the past, Metro has offered shuttle buses between closed stations.
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The closures come as Metro tries to recover from plummeting ridership linked to the pandemic while moving forward with its capital improvement plan to enhance safety and reliability long-term.
Here are the major service changes to know about.
May 12-22: Orange Line Single Tracking Between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly
Expect delays on the east end of the Orange Line while roofing work is done at the Minnesota Avenue, Deanwood and Cheverly stations. PEPCO power lines running above the stations must be de-energized while the work is completed.
June 3: Orange/Silver Line Station Closures Begin in Arlington and Fairfax Counties
East Falls Church on the Orange and Silver lines will close, along with West Falls Church on the Orange Line, for over three weeks.
The Vienna and Dunn Loring stations will be closed for more than six weeks.
June 26: East Falls Church and West Falls Church Reopen
The East Falls Church station (Orange/Silver) and West Falls Church station (Orange) are scheduled to be closed for 23 days.
July 17: Vienna and Dunn Loring Stations Reopen
The Vienna and Dunn Loring Orange Line stations are scheduled to be closed for 44 days so crews can replace a 40-year-old steel rail and upgrade old copper cables to fiber optic cables.
July 22 to Sept. 4: Green Line Closures in Prince George’s County
Green Line service will be shut down at West Hyattsville, Hyattsville Crossing, College Park-U of Md. and Greenbelt, Metro said. The 44-day closure will allow the installation of fiber optic cables.
“While Green Line customers in this location experienced a recent summer shutdown for station improvements, the installation of fiberoptics was unable to be addressed at that time due to the use of the tracks to move equipment,” Metro said.
More Metro Maintenance Expected in Summer 2023
Commuters in the heart of the District may notice some changes, too.
Metro says it will install new passenger information displays at Metro Center, Gallery Place and L’Enfant stations.
The four escalators at the Dupont Circle station north entrance at Connecticut Avenue and Dupont Street are slated to be replaced starting in late July or early August. Crews will replace two escalators at a time, leaving the two others available for use.
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