Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 11 11 2011

[Sand Box John]

Silver Lining Connections: Tunnel connecting two of the four Metrorail stations in Tysons Corner take on a silvery look as work progresses. Crews will soon begin laying track here.

Photo by Frank Jenkins, Dulles Transit Partners

 

It's the Silver Line - Officially; Metro Picks Color for Dulles Line

 

It's official. The 23-mile Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project will be called the Silver Line.

 

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) board approved the color for the new line last month after several months of debate.

 

Metro is now developing a new official map, which prompted lots of debates - and even a poll - to determine what to call the line which will run from East Falls Church to Ashburn when both phases of the project are completed in 2017. There had been talk of calling it the Cherry Blossom Pink Line or even calling it some form of the Orange Line. However, Metro said more people favored the Silver Line.

 

Unofficially, the rail extension had been referred to by many, including the media, as the Silver Line for several years.

 

A High-Flying Visitor: This Red-Shouldered Hawk seems to be enjoying the ever-changing Tysons Corner landscape from this perch on the scaffolding stairs at the Tysons East Metrorail Station on the northwest side of Route 123 at Colshire Drive. The station will be the first stop on the westbound rail and is in easy walking distance of the Gates of McLean, Northrup Grumman, Mitre Corp. and commercial properties owned by CityLine.

Photo by Chuck Samuelson, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

 

Moving West Along Route 7: Dulles Transit Partners' (DTP) crews continue to build bridges for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project in the median of Route 7. This photo captures construction near dusk with the Sheraton Tysons in the background. A huge bright yellow horizontal crane is being used by DTP subcontractor Rizzani, an Italian company that has done bridge-building around the world.

Photo by Chuck Samuelson, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

 

Tysons Traffic Delays Easing as Holiday Shopping Begins While Work Continues

 

Tunnels Almost Ready for Track Work; Late-Night Spring Hill Road Closings Planned

 

With the holiday shopping season just around the corner, drivers taking advantage of the two major malls and other stores, restaurants and hotels for holiday parties should know that traffic delays caused by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project construction will be far less than during the past two holiday seasons.

 

That is because a lot of the roadwork and other construction impacting roads is beginning to wind down. In fact, lane closings along Route 7 during daytime hours are minimal, and road work on Route 123 related to rail is infrequent.

 

However, drivers will encounter some late-night closings, the most significant of which will be on Spring Hill Road at Leesburg Pike. Here, some full closures at the intersection will be scheduled late at night between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

Detailed information about these closures and accompanying detours will be announced as soon as they are finalized. Businesses and residents of that area will be given details of the work as soon as possible. Traffic alerts will be issued as needed. If you want to sign-up to get traffic alerts by email, visit http://www.dullesmetro.com or email outreach@dullesmetro.com.

 

Meanwhile, the project is about to celebrate another major milestone. Construction of the tunnels that connect two of the stations in Tysons Corner is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Then the inbound and outbound tunnels will be turned over to the track subcontractor who will begin laying rail in each one.

 

Already track is being set in many parts of the 11.6-mile Phase 1 alignment, including atop some guideways (bridges) and in the median of the Dulles Connector Road.

 

Each of the five stations, all well under construction, continue to make significant progress. Large cranes lift massive, 30-ton concrete beam supports into place at the Tysons East and West stations, while complex, multi-level excavation and slabs are poured at the Tysons Central 123 and Central 7 stations.

 

Wiehle Avenue Station ConstructionThe Wiehle Avenue Station is the farthest along - the first escalators have been delivered.

 

The two large bright yellow and blue horizontal cranes (trusses) that have been so visible in Tysons Corner all year continue their marches toward completion of aerial bridges.

 

On Route 123, the truss has crossed the main entrance of Capital One Drive and will continue constructing bridge spans toward the east side of I-495. When that work is completed, that truss will be disassembled and reassembled in the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway near Route 7 to begin work there.

 

The truss currently in the median of Route 7 is moving west toward the Tysons West Station, being built west of Spring Hill Road. The truss now is working between Westpark Drive/Gosnell Road and Spring Hill Road.

 

Extremely Visible: Construction continues on the Wiehle Avenue Metrorail Station in the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway/Dulles Toll Road, just west of the Wiehle Avenue overpass.

Photo by Chuck Samuelson, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

 

(The first of the facade panels went up on 10 15 2011, It appears that all of them have been installed when the above picture was taken.)

 

 

Making The Connection: Crews continue to fine-tune connections between the Silver Line and the existing Orange Line.

Photo by Chuck Samuelson, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

 

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Link to PDF version is not on the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project web site yet.

[MarkD329]

Fantastic! I hope to be there on Opening Day!

[Sand Box John]

MarkD329

 

Fantastic! I hope to be there on Opening Day!

 

Phase I is scheduled to start revenue operation during the forth quarter of 2014.

 

Latest word is they are 3 months behind on the construction schedule.

 

I am guessing WMATA will open the line sometime during second half of 2015 or first quarter of 2016.

[WMATA]

I had no idea they were behind schedule. Everything appears to be moving smoothly.

 

Thanks for the monthly updates, John. Now if only we can get some updates on the 7k cars. I'm a bit more excited about that project than the Dulles rail project.

[Sand Box John]

WMATA

I had no idea they were behind schedule. Everything appears to be moving smoothly.

 

The schedule was padded to accommodate the weather and any other unforeseen events.

 

The contractor charged with building the elevated had problems with lifting gantry #3 that was being used to build the spans over the Capitol Beltway. The thing crapped the bed back in August, they fixed it then it crapped the bed again. They dismantled it and are now using a crane to assemble the remaining spans. As I wright this they have likely finished the spans over the Capitol Beltway.

 

 

Lifting gantry #3 working inbound track N1 01 22 2011.

 

Nearly complete spans of outbound track N2 over the Capitol Beltway 11 06 2011.

(Pictures by JackRussell_03)

 

There were delays in other areas as well.

 

There also was an issue between Fairfax County, the folks the live in the neighborhood adjacent to the existing Fisher Avenue traction power substation and Dulles Transit Partners over the expansion of the substation. Dulles Transit Partners planned on putting a second story on the building to house the train control room that will control the the junction and new double crossover east of the junction. The neighborhood folks objected to building the second story as it would dwarf the surround homes. The existing substation is nicely surrounded by trees and is hardly noticeable. In the end it was decided to house the train control room in a separate building next to the substation on a lot that is to small to build a home on.

 

Thanks for the monthly updates, John. Now if only we can get some updates on the 7k cars. I'm a bit more excited about that project than the Dulles rail project.

 

From what I have heard the earth quake in Japan delayed the delivery of some components need to assemble the car bodies in Nebraska. I have no idea what effect it will have on the scheduled delivery of the evaluation prototypes.