Politics & Government

Subway Update: Two-year-old Project Progresses Above and Below Tysons Corner

All four Tysons stations under construction

Here's an update from the Dulles Metro Rail Project on the progress of the Silver Line through McLean and Tysons Corner.

March marks the second anniversary of the start of construction of Phase 1 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. On March 9, 2009, the U.S. Department of Transportation approved a Full Funding Grant Agreement that provided $900 million in federal funding for the project, completing the financial package.

 Within days, construction started and the past 24 months have been filled with significant construction successes. The landscape all along the 11.7 miles of route has been altered as construction of the four stations sets the stage for the transformation of Tysons Corner into a city of 40,000 in the next 20 years.

 Tunnels in Tysons

 Construction has reached the 33 percent mark, including completion of the mining of both the inbound and outbound tunnels under the Route 7 and Route 123 intersection where crews are now working inside both those tunnel cavities. Crews have been reinforcing the walls with steel framework and are waterproofing.  A large steel arch form is being used to mold the arches.

 At the ends of the mined tunnels, a "cut and cover" construction method is being used to build the tunnel connections to the Tysons Central 7 and Tysons 123 Metrorail Stations.

At the Future Orange Line Connection

At I-66 and the Dulles Connector Road (Route 267) where the new rail line will connect with Metro's Orange Line, traditional bridge building methods are being used to erect the structure to carry the tracks. That's why there was not subway service this weekend and last weekend between the East and West Falls Church Metro stations.

Last month, night crews began working in this area as construction accelerated. Bridge decking will be completed by Summer.

Find out what's happening in McLeanwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 At the Future Metrorail Stations

Construction of all five stations has started:

       *       Tysons East, along the northwest side of Route 123 at Scotts Crossing Road near Capital One;
       *       Tysons Central 123, on the northwest side of Route 123 at Tysons Boulevard near Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria;
       *       Tysons Central 7, in the median of Route 7 west of Route 123 near SAIC and Marshalls;
       *       Tysons West, in the median of Route 7 between Spring Hill and Tyco roads;
       *       Wiehle Avenue, in the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway/Dulles Toll Road west of Wiehle Avenue.

               Along Route 7

       *       Relocation of 21 different utilities is almost complete along  Route 7 between the Dulles Toll Road and Route 123.
       *       Utilities have been placed underground.
       *       Sidewalks have been built.
       *       This mile-long stretch of Route 7 has been shifted as much as 60 feet to create a much wider median where the Tysons West and Tysons Central 7 Stations are being built;  the last lane shift near Koons Toyota will take place in April.
       *       Piers for the aerial bridges are almost complete.
       *       Service roads along Route 7 have been removed.
       *       Access to all businesses is being maintained.

Reminder: There is no parking at the four stations in Tysons. That's why the Fairfax County folks are meeting with citizens Tuesday at McLean High School. They need a plan for how to get riders to the train.

Find out what's happening in McLeanwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In the Skies at Tysons

 Large concrete segments are being hoisted into place above Interstate 495 (the Capital Beltway) to build spans between piers that will be connected to create the bridges for Dulles Corridor Metrorail tracks. Similar bridges continue to be built along the northwest side of Route 123 from the Dulles Connector Road southward to Tysons Boulevard. Crews officially began working on the crossing of the Beltway in mid-February.  Project officials estimate this work will take almost a year to complete.

 Partial and full closings of lanes on the inner and outer loops of I-495 are required from time to time. The full closures will take place this Summer. Advance notifications will be provided.

Background:

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) is constructing a 23-mile extension of the existing Metrorail system, which will be operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority from East Falls Church to Washington Dulles International Airport west to Ashburn.
The extension will serve Tysons Corner, Virginia's largest employment center, and the Reston Herndon area, the state's second largest employment concentration. And, it will provide a one-seat ride from Dulles International Airport to downtown Washington.

Phase 1 and 2

The project will include 11 new stations. It will be built in two phases. Phase 1 will run from East Falls Church to Wiehle Avenue on the eastern edge of Reston. It will include four stations in Tysons Corner-Tysons east, Tysons Central 123, Tysons Central 7 and Tysons West. Construction will begin in March of 2009 and it will be completed in 2013.
Phase 2 will run from Wiehle Avenue to Ashburn in eastern Loudoun County. A construction date has not been set for the extension that will serve Reston Town Center, Herndon, Dulles Airport, Route 606 and Ashburn.
The purpose of Dulles Metrorail is to provide high-quality, high-capacity transit service in the Dulles Corridor. New Metrorail service in the corridor will result in travel time savings between the corridor and downtown D.C., expand the reach of the existing regional rail system, offer a viable alternative to automobile travel and support future transit-oriented development along the corridor.

Cost: Metropolitan Washington Airpots Authority  and Dulles Transit Partners in March 2008 signed an updated $1.6 billion fixed-price contract to build the project, keeping the costs of the project to $2.6 billion.


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