Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) is extending SafeTrack Surge #13 by three days to make up time lost during Tuesday's winter storm and the wind and cold temperatures that followed.
Surge #13, which had been scheduled to end on April 9, will be extended through the end of the day Wednesday, April 12 During Surge #13, Blue and Yellow line trains are continuously single tracking through the work zone between Van Dorn Street/Huntington and Braddock Road stations.
As a result of the storm, SafeTrack work activity was suspended so that track employees could be redeployed for snow-clearing operations. In addition, the cold temperatures caused ice to form along the aerial structure within the work zone, impeding production and presenting a potential safety risk to workers. The ice had to be removed, which further delayed the project. Metro determined that it would be more efficient to extend the current surge, keeping all work equipment and safety mechanisms in place, rather than breaking down the site and returning at a later date.
In addition to extending the surge, Metro is advising customers that on two nights-Friday, March 24, and Wednesday April 12 -buses may replace trains after 8 p.m. south of Braddock Road to allow for movement of heavy construction equipment. Affected customers will be notified by MetroAlerts email and text messages, social media, and broadcast traffic reports.
The following project, Surge #14 between College Park and Greenbelt, is schedule to start on time on Saturday, April 15.
