Washington DC: Rail transit

[202_Cyclist]

New segment of Anacostia Riverwalk Trail expands the region’s trail network


A four-mile segment of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail officially opens Monday. (Image via the Washington Post).

By Luz Lazo
October 31, 2016
Washington Post

"A four-mile segment of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, which was a missing link in a network of 60 miles of trail between the District and Maryland, officially opened today.

The Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Segment connects Benning Road in the District with the Bladensburg Waterfront Park, creating a much more pleasant and safe route for cyclists who commute between Prince George’s County and the District. The trail offers recreational access to the river and its natural resources.

“This trail will mean big things for the Washington region,” said Katie Harris, a trail coordinator with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. It’s only four miles, but it’s a vital connector to the 15 existing miles of [trail] in D.C. and to over 40 miles of trails in Prince George’s County..."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...trail-network/


Greater Greater Washington also has a good article about this.

Meet Anacostia's newest bike trail. It might be the most beautiful in the region.
http://greatergreaterwashington.org/...in-the-region/

[cambron J]

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 11 28 2016

DC to Dulles and Beyond: Metrorail on Track

Hand Mining: One of the Toughest Jobs on Silver Line Phase 2

As work on the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project (DCMP) progresses and Phase 2 of Metro's Silver Line begins to take shape, some of the toughest work on the project is conducted underground, out of public sight. About 1,400 people currently are working on the project, which extends the Silver Line from the Wiehle-Reston East Station westward through Dulles International Airport and on to Ashburn.

To supply the rail line with needed utilities, such as water and electricity, project workers must tunnel beneath the Dulles Toll Road and Dulles Greenway to access the rail line in the median of those roads. All along the project, dense rock known as diabase (granite) has challenged Capital Rail Constructors (CRC) crews attempting to dig out those tunnels. CRC is the group contracted to build the bulk of the project. The diabase is much denser than anticipated before work began.


A CRC worker kneels in the tunnel where he is hand mining to carry utilities to and from the Silver Line Phase 2.<br>
(Photo courtesy of Capital Rail Constructors)

Project workers first began digging by a method called "jack and bore" using a large piece of equipment that drills horizontally through the earth without disturbing roadways. However, that process was not adequate to break through the hard rock along the rail line.

For many of the tunnels built roughly every mile along the Dulles Toll Road, CRC resorted to hand mining, an intensive process that requires workers to crawl into the tunnels and break out the rock bit by bit.

"That's all basically on their knees," said DCMP senior project manager Stephen Barna.

John Kearney, another DCMP senior project manager, emphasized that hand miners perform some of the most strenuous work on the job.


This equipment, similar to a jackhammer, is used by construction crew to break through the incredibly dense rock along the Silver Line Phase 2 route.

"Imagine crawling under your desk and digging through solid rock in that tight space on your knees for eight or more hours every day," Kearney said. Further, it's a job the public cannot see and therefore cannot appreciate.

"It's an unseen and thankless piece of work," he said. "No one understands what those miners go through. They work in more difficult conditions than most of the other trades and they have to work harder to complete these tunnels and get through their days."


These CRC workers are near a completed utility duct tunnel along the Silver Line Phase 2 route.<br>
(Photo courtesy of Capital Rail Constructors)

Digging the tunnels is but one part of the process. As the workers push forward - some shifts making up to 8 feet of progress, others making only 3 inches per shift - metal supports called liner panels are bolted around the tunnel and grout is used to fill in the gaps between the liner panels and rough, rocky walls. Once the tunneling is complete, utility lines or ducts are fed through the tunnel to supply the rail line with power, water and any other needed utility.

Next, utility line ducts are fed through the tunnel to supply the rail line with power, water and any other needed utility.

Finally, grout is poured to fill the spaces between and around the utility ducts.

Numbers Tell Story of Progress

Impressive numbers now tell the story of progress along the alignment of Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, also known as the Silver Line. Here's an update on the aerial work that has been done at Dulles Airport:

• All 197 drilled shafts have been completed.
• All 197 columns have been poured.
• 98 percent (182) of pier caps have been poured.
• 183 (62 percent) deck slabs have been poured.
• Crews continue to drill and set anchor bolts and bearings on the pier caps for girders on the guideway columns.
• Crews completed drilling Secant Piles for the Reston Land Bridge and completed pouring columns on the S­1 Guideway east of the future Dulles Airport Station. All Aerial Guideway Columns have been poured.
• The precaster continues to cast girders and prepare the girders for shipment to the site from the Coastal Precast facility.

A Big Piece of the Action

The arrival of the first segment of one of many to be built, connecting Phase 2 rail stations to both sides of the Dulles Toll Road corridor, signaled major progress in construction in late October.


The first span for the pedestrian bridge has been delivered to Innovation Center south.<br>
(Photo courtesy of Capital Rail Constructors)

This large section arrived on the south side of the site where the Innovation Center Station is being built in the shadow of the Center for Innovative Technology near Route 28 and the toll road.

The bridges will be assembled on site and erected over the east and westbound lanes of the Dulles corridor using complex construction procedures that will demand major lane closings and shifts at each station site. Details of those erections will be announced well in advance.

Did You Know?

• Loudoun and Fairfax counties are footing the bills for parking garages for rail users in their respective counties.
• The largest rail yard in the Metro system is part of Phase 2. It is being built on a 90 ­acre site owned by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority near Route 606 and Mercure Business Park.
• Parking at Herndon Station will handle 3,500 cars (including the 1,950 spaces in the existing garage).
• Bike racks are located at each station except for Dulles Airport.

###

Link to PDF version at Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project web site.

[202_Cyclist]

DC Streetcar ridership is growing, and people are still riding the X2 and X9 buses, too

By Bryan Rodda
Dec. 15, 2016
Greater Greater Washington


Image courtesy of Greater Greater Washington

"DC’s two-mile streetcar route overlaps two popular Metrobus lines, the X2 and X9, and when the streetcar started some wondered whether it would poach those lines’ riders. WMATA recently crunched the data, and it turns out overall transit ridership along the H Street/Benning Road corridor is up 15% since February.

The X2 and X9 Metrobus lines carry about 14,000 daily riders between Minnesota Avenue Metro station and 16th Street NW in downtown DC via H Street. For a two-mile stretch along H Street and Benning Road NE, the DC Streetcar overlaps the bus lines. This situation suggested the streetcar and bus lines might compete for the same riders in a zero-sum game that would limit each service’s potential..."

https://ggwash.org/view/61704/dc-str...le-are-riding-

[mrsmartman]

The bus services could be cut short to save resources and encourage people to transfer to street car.

[cambron J]

mrsmartman
The bus services could be cut short to save resources and encourage people to transfer to street car.

Both of those bus routes begin and end their runs at points east and west of the end points of the streetcar line.

The X2 runs between the Minnesota Avenue Metrorail station and H Street and Madison Place NW. The X9 runs between the Capitol Height Metrorail station and the 11th Street and New York Avenue NW. The Street car runs between Benning Road and Oklahoma Avenue NE and Union Station.

[mrsmartman]

Having bus services routing through the urban center is rather a novel concept as compared to rail services. Usually, bus routes are terminated in downtown. It will be good to terminate the bus routes at the outskirt of downtown, encouraging people to change to metro.

[cambron J]

mrsmartman
Having bus services routing through the urban center is rather a novel concept as compared to rail services. Usually, bus routes are terminated in downtown. It will be good to terminate the bus routes at the outskirt of downtown, encouraging people to change to metro.

That was the schema WMATA envisioned when they drew up the plans for Metrorail back in the 1960s. Radial bus routes would be adjusted to feed the rail stations. Selected bus routes running along corridors not served by Metrorail would remain basically unchanged. That's pretty much what we have today. Prior to the build out of Metrorail there were at least dozen and a half bus routes that crossed the Potomac River over the Key and 14th Street bridges. Several bus route that ran from terminals outside the Capitol Beltway in Maryland terminated their runs in the area of Federal Triangle, today many of those routes feed Metrorail stations outside of DC or the nearest station just inside DC .

[cambron J]

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 01 15 2017

Capital Rail Constructors continues maintaining their steady pace.

Right of way barriers along the Dulles Access Road at various location have security fence posts on them, in some places the chain link fabric and barbed has also been installed. There are still a few gaps that have been left uncompleted to allow equipment and material access for station construction. Most of the sections that have completed barrier walls have the grading done to the point for the grading of the track sub roadbed, surface cable tray trenchs have been or are being installed along some of those sections.

Ground work is mostly complete at the traction power substations east of the airport. Most of the ones west of the airport are at the ground work stage. Traction power substation #15 on the south side of the Dulles Access Toll Road inside the loop ramp from southbound Sulley Road has its prefabricated switching equipment inclosure in place. All that remains to be done is to set the precast concrete walls and pave the access driveway.

Reston Town Center has it west ancillary area totally inclosed. All of the column to support the mezzanine are done. The invert under the platform is in place. No work has been done on the site of the south entrance pavilion.

Herndon has its mezzanine slabs set along with the station managers kiosk. The west ancillary is also in place. All of the column for the south entrance pedestrian bridges are a various stages of completion. The south entrance pavilion has begun to come up out of the ground. No work has begun for the north entrance. Grading is being done on the site short term parking area along with also being used as a staging area for drainage pipe and precast manholes. No work has begun on the site on the second garage west of the existing garage.

Innovation Center as mentioned back in October is is structurally complete. All but one of the south entrance pedestrian bridge column are complete. The south entrance pavilion is ready for the installation of the precast enclosure walls. No groundwork has begun beyond site clearing at the site of the north entrance.

The rail that was staged at east abutment in the median of the Dulles Access Road west of Rudder Road has been welded into longer lengths. The stacked welded rail extends from just east of the abutment to the bridge over Horsepen Run. Most of the rail staged in the lot on the southwest corner of Autopilot Drive and Rudder Road is gone. I think we can safely assume it has been lifted up onto the elevated along Autopilot Drive and welded into longer lengths. There are multiple concrete samples on the ground at the north end of Autopilot Drive that I assume are samples from the pours for the track fasteners grout pads. Angle iron for elevated guard rail has begun to be staged adjcent to the rail that remains.

All of the columns on the airport property to support the elevated are done. Girders have been set from the 4th straddle bent over the westbound Dulles Access Road south of Aviation Drive to east end of the airport station. All of the cross girders that will support the platform girders have been set. Three spans of track bed girders have been set at the west of the station and continue to the where the girders were set along Air Freight Lane. Two platform spans have been done and have their precast slabs in place. The west platform ancillary has also been set. Deck slab pouring is moving east following the setting of the girders.

At the west abutments in the median of the Dulles Greenway, the west yard lead girders have been set to the abutment. All of the columns are done for the mainline east of the abutment. The 6th (west) straddle bent has its forms in place and the concrete has been poured the 5th (east) straddle bent is waiting for the forms to be stripped from the 6th.

Grading has begun in the median of the Dulles Greenway in preparation for drainage and the barrier walls.

Erection of the steel frame for the shop building has begun. Excavation and instalation of the third rail conduits in Dulles Yard is at verious stages of completion along with continuing project of removing bed rock in the area of the storage tracks.

Loudoun Gateway has begun to come up out of the ground. The columns that will support the mezzanine level of the west ancillary are mostly done. Just under half of the barrier walls along the length of the station are done. The remainder range from not having their foundations excavated to waiting for the forms to be stripped. The Loudoun Gateway station is unique in that no piles were needed to be driven as bed rock had to be removed from the site to bring it down to the correct grade.

Grading has begun at both ends of the new bridge over Horsepin Run that is part of the Old Ox Road widening project.

It is difficult to see what's going on at Ashburn but I think we can safely assume groundwork is being done in perpetration for the column and barrier foundations.

###

Pictures at plus.google.com 01 15 2017.
This and previous posts in this series can be seen at cambronj.blogspot.com.

[cambron J]

WMATA: Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 01 17 2017

DC to Dulles and Beyond: Metrorail on Track

Silver Line Progress Steady

Construction of Phase 2 of the Silver Line is moving steadily along, according to rail project officials.

In recent weeks, Capital Rail Constructors, the project's design­-build contractor, has reported significant progress on the aerial guideways that will carry the tracks through Washington Dulles International Airport.


DCMP crews set the 495th girder ­ out of 622 girders that comprise the aerial guideway for Phase 2 of the Silver Line ­ over the eastbound Dulles Greenway.
(Photo by Jennifer Thomas Alcott/Capital Rail Contructors)

According to John Kearney, project manager/construction manager of the rail project for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority which is building the Silver line, the girders to support the future rail station at the airport are being put in along with station framing precast. And only 47 of the girders to support the aerial tracks are still to be made. Construction of the future Ashburn Station, at the end of the Phase 2 alignment, has ramped up. For example, excavations have been completed and a large tower crane, like those now in place along Dulles Toll Road at the Reston and Herndon stations, has been erected, creating a visual landmark for drivers along the Dulles Greenway, Kearney said. In addition, a huge straddle bent ­ required to carry the rail line across wide stretches where central columns cannot be placed ­ has been installed over the eastbound lanes of the Greenway and the first girders set.

Along both the aerial and ground level stretches of Phase 2, tracks are being laid.

In February, girder erection crews will move to the east side of the future Dulles Airport Station to begin setting girders. In addition, Traction Power Substation 13, one of many facilities required to power the rail line along the alignment, is expected to be delivered and erected just south of the new Herndon Station in early February.

Gaining Traction: Silver Line Phase 2 Moves Forward with Anticipated Track Work

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project crews recently marked a big day for Phase 2 of Metro's Silver Line when they began installing track along sections of the Phase 2 alignment.

"Beginning the at-­grade track work is a very important milestone," said Director of Project Engineering Stephen Barna. "It signifies the completion of all below-­grade utility work and trackway walls required to place ballast stone, ties and rails. It is an exciting time for the project."

Two kinds of track are needed for the project: one type for the at­-grade sections and another for the aerial guideway through Dulles International Airport.

Approximately 8 miles of ballasted track will be used to complete the at-grade (ground level) sections, while direct fixation track will be used for the remaining 3.5 miles of aerial track, said Nikolas Hunter, the track project manager with Capital Rail Constructors, the contractor MWAA tasked with building the rail line.


Construction of ballasted track along Dulles International Airport Access Highway during Phase 1 construction.
(Photo by Stephen Barna/Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project)

Dulles Airport Station is the only Phase 2 station along the aerial guideway; Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn are all ground level stations accessed by pedestrian walkways to be constructed over the Dulles Toll Road, Dulles International Airport Access Highway and Dulles Greenway.

Nearly 1,400 workers support the project which extends the Silver Line from the Wiehle­-Reston East Station westward through Dulles International Airport and to Ashburn. All electrical power, train control and communication duct banks, as well as track storm drain pipes and structures, must be installed prior to track construction.

According to Hunter, fifty workers will be constructing the ballasted tracks, a quicker process than direct fixation track installation.

To construct ballasted track, workers first must bring the track road bed to the correct elevation before placing and compacting finely crushed stone along the at­-grade sections of the alignment to create the sub­ballast, Barna explained. Then, a 12-­inch layer of larger crushed stone is placed to create the ballast to support the precast concrete ties that are set in place next. Sections of rail are then fastened to the concrete ties with steel plates and rail clips. Finally, a specialized machine places additional crushed rock between the ties and corrects the final alignment and grade.

Thirty workers are installing the direct fixation track along AutoPilot Drive at the Airport, Hunter said. That process requires the use of concrete plinths, which are cast-­in­-place concrete structures that support the rail. Ninety-­foot sections of rail are delivered by truck and then welded together into 'sticks' of nearly 1,000­-foot lengths and fasted to the concrete plinths with steel plates and bolts, Barna said. The final line and grade work for direct fixation track is done by hand.


Phase 2 workers install direct fixation track along aerial guideway at Dulles Airport.
(Photo by Nikolas Hunter/Capital Rail Constructors)

"Our whole purpose is to build a transit railroad for the public's use," Barna said. "After nearly four years of very difficult design and construction work, we are beginning the challenging phase of installing the track and all of the systems that will allow us to begin testing with rail cars in 2018."


Phase 1 direct fixation track and switch construction on Route 7 aerial guideway west of the Springhill Station.
(Photo by Stephen Barna/Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project)

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the entity tasked with managing the project, will turn it over to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority upon completion, which will operate it as part of Washington's regional rail system.

Sunrise Valley Drive Improvement Work Begins

As Construction of Phase 2 of the Silver Line continues, work along Sunrise Valley Drive will impact commuters.

In early January, Dulles Rail construction crews began preliminary work, including clearing and grading on Sunrise Valley to make way for improvements to access the pavilion and parking for the new station being built in the median of the Dulles Airport Access Highway/Dulles Toll Road.

Initial activities include installing erosion and sediment controls, clearing trees along westbound Sunrise Valley Drive and near the existing parking garage as well as utility relocations, widening of the westbound lanes of Sunrise Valley Drive and construction of a new West Entrance Road to the existing parking garage.
Additional construction activities will follow, continuing through 2018.
The work will require:

• Lane closures on Sunrise Valley Drive will occur between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Closure of the sidewalk on the north (westbound) side of Sunrise Valley Drive between the Arboretum and Thunder Chase Drive. A&nbsp;temporary crosswalk at the intersection of Milburn Lane will be installed for safety, and pedestrians will be redirected to the sidewalk on the south (eastbound) side.
• Narrowing of entrances to facilities along Sunrise Valley Drive for utility work.

Further updates will be provided as the work progresses. Drivers should exercise caution, pay attention to barriers and signage, and obey all flagger instructions.

Letters detailing the work to be done were sent to residents of the area in early January.

###

This newsletter confirms the assumption I made about the track laying on the elevated along Autopilot Drive during my observation in the post above.

Link to PDF version at Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project web site.

[cambron J]

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 02 21 2017

DC to Dulles and Beyond: Metrorail on Track

Construction Continues All Along the Alignment

The coming weeks will be jammed with a host of construction work all along the second phase of the Silver Line from Reston to Ashburn. Here's a preview:

• At Dulles International Airport, girders for aerial guideway will be set. Deck work will continue at the airport and in the the rail yard just west of the airport itself. The last of eight straddle bents along the aerial guideway will be poured around the end of February and the concrete form is scheduled to be stripped in March. Directional drills for 34.5kV duct bank under some airport roads will be ongoing.
• Tracks: Plinth and direct fixation track, as well as special track (switch) work will be ongoing along the aerial guideway at the airport, and ballasted track work near Monroe/ Van Buren Street continues. Double crossover east of Horsepen Run bridge will be installed.
• On the far western end of the line, additional 35.4kV duct bank and storm drainage work in the median of the Dulles Greenway will continue. Jack and bore work for utilities under the Dulles Greenway is expected to be completed in late February/early March. Track wall construction west of Loudoun County Parkway begins late February/early March.
• Traction Power Substation #15 will be energized with permanent 34.5kV power from Dominion Virginia Power's Dulles Substation.

The crossbeams pictured above will support Metro's Dulles Airport Station when complete and connect with the terminal, pictured in the background, via a pedestrian tunnel with moving sidewalks.
Photo by John Kearney, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project


DCMP crews continued setting girders (top) and building a straddle bent (bottom) needed to span the Dulles Greenway throughout January. Heaters and heat blankets allowed the concrete to cure properly despite frigid temperatures.
Photos by Jennifer Thomas Alcott, Capital Rail Constructors



Stations:

• Reston Town Center Station:
  Station steel erection will start in April. Pedestrian bridge drilled shaft work on the north side of the station will begin, to be followed by cap and column construction. North pavilion cast in place work will be completed. Interior station build-out.
• Herndon Station:
  At TPSS # 13, drill shafts for screenwall start in late March. At Herndon Station south pavilion site, precast erection begins in late March, followed by steel erection in April.
• Innovation Center Station:
  Pedestrian bridges on the south side of station will be set. Flat roofs will be completed and ceiling framing begins. Electrical switchgear will be set. Work on the vault standing seam roofing system will start along with work on the retaining wall at the north pavilion. Communications installations begin.
• Dulles Airport Station:
  Escalator installation and structural steel erection start. Re-routing of fiber line begins.
• Loudoun Gateway Station:
  Concrete foundation will be completed, and walls and column construction will continue. Precast erection is scheduled to start in April.
• Ashburn Station:
  Concrete finishes in March, and precast erection will be ongoing in March and April. Block walls inside the station known as Concrete Masonry Units will start in early April.

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) speaks with Executive Director of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, Charles Stark, during a recent project tour.

Big Numbers!

Did you know that construction of the aerial guideway to support tracks at Washington Dullles International Airport and west to the Dulles Greenway:

• Is approximately 3.8 miles.
• Requires 6,217 tons of steel, all American made.
• Uses 50,539 cubic yards of concrete.

Looking Way Ahead

• Innovation Center Station - (North end):
  The pedestrian shafts and excavation sound wall at the north end of Innovation Station will be completed by June or July 2017. Embankment work has started and is awaiting additional fill material.Innovation Center Station - (South end):[/b]
  There are several developments happening at the south end of Innovation station. Embankment work near the pavilion has started and is ongoing with precast work to start next month.
  The pedestrian bridges will be erected in the following order: (8, 5, 6 and 7). Work on the pedestrian bridge along Sunrise Valley Drive (7 and 6) will begin in a couple of weeks. A 20- minute road flagging or lane closure detour may be issued when determined.
• Sunrise Valley Drive:
  Frontage work has been completed that includes a completed tree clearing and ongoing utility locating. Capital Rail Constructors (CRC) is still working on plating a portion of the Dulles Access Road.
• Herndon Station - Garage Work along Sunrise Valley Drive:
  Contractor Manhattan will close the east access of garage (Nov. - Feb. 2017) after western access is made available by CRC. They will start at the end of the month with interior garage work to facilitate the north access road. The existing northwest in-only access is anticipated to be closed from March to May to allow for the temporary reconfiguration of the entrance. Installation of telecomm and electrical conduit will take place in mid-March. CRC's coordination of the pedestrian bridge installation will continue to be monitored and may impact bus lanes and cause nighttime lane closures.

Electrical duct bank stub at the site of Ashburn Station in the median of the Dulles Greenway will contain and protect the power lines that will provide electricity to the station.
Photo by Richard Lynch, Capital Rail Constructors


Once opened, Metro passengers will be able to ride the Silver Line to Dulles International Airport, providing a high-capacity rail connection between the airport and Washington, D.C.
Photo by John Kearney, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

###

[202_Cyclist]

One year in, DC Streetcar is beating expectations, gaining riders

Greater Greater Washington
Feb. 28, 2017


Image courtesy of Greater Greater Washington.

"Happy birthday, DC Streetcar! Yesterday was the first anniversary of opening day. This year hasn't been perfect, but the streetcar steadily gained riders and has generally beaten expectations.

According to monthly ridership reports, January 2017 was the streetcar's busiest month yet, in both total riders for the month and in average riders per weekday. .."

https://ggwash.org/view/62538/one-ye...gaining-riders

[cambron J]

WMATA: Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 03 22 2017

Construction Passes 56 Percent During Very Mild Winter

Old Man Winter has been especially kind to construction of Phase 2 of the Silver Line.


Aerial construction at the entrance into Dulles Airport captures a dynamic view of the Dulles Terminal as the American flag blows in the wind.
Photo by Jennifer Thomas Alcott, Capital Rail Constructors

Bad weather never really stopped us, according to vice president and project executive director Charles Stark who recently said construction of the main system-the track, the stations, the support infrastructure etc. has topped the 56 percent mark and construction at the huge rail yard being built on Dulles Airport property is at 46 percent.

According to a recent report on the status of construction prepared by John Kearney, the project's construction manager, plenty has been accomplished recently. For example, 223 deck spans have been poured. That's 76 percent of the total needed. All 183 of the needed pier caps have been poured.

In March, the final aerial guideway girders at Dulles International Airport were set in place near Saarinen Circle. The four 84-inch tall precast concrete girders measure nearly 140 feet long, weigh approximately 95 tons each, and will support the Silver Line Metrorail trains that will run through the airport, says Jennifer Alcott, a spokeswoman for the construction contract.

Kearney said crews continue to drill and set anchor bolts and bearings on the pier caps for girders on the aerial guideway columns, and continue to install girders at the entrance to Dulles Airport.

Also, aerial deck spans continue to be poured just west of the airport station. Straddle bents have been set over the eastbound lanes of the Dulles Greenway.


Cast-in-place concrete activities are ongoing at the Herndon Station south pavilion site.
Photo by Jennifer Thomas Alcott, Capital Rail Constructors

Soon crews will be installing pedestrian bridges at five stations to provide access to the stations.

Drainage work and track wall construction continue. Protective slabs over Fairfax County's waterline near the Reston Station are being installed.

Hand mining for utility tunnels demanded by high-density granite is wrapping up and communication lines are being relocated to make way for installation of the pedestrian bridges. Directional drilling continues beneath Horsepen Pond to provide for utility line installations.Track work continues all along the line at grade and in the air.

Station foundation work continues at the Loudoun Gateway Station and at the Ashburn Station.

At the Reston Town Center Station, precast erections and station wall work is underway. At Herndon Station, structural steel installation for the vault roof has begun along with precast detailing and grouting. Cast-in-place columns are being set, the pier for the pedestrian bridge is being built, and walls and decks are being installed at the South Pavilion.


Roof panels are welded in place at Innovation Center Station.
Photo by Jennifer Thomas Alcott, Capital Rail Constructors


At Innovation Center Station, tabletop piers will support the pedestrian bridges that will provide access between the station and the south side of the rail line.
Photo by Jennifer Thomas Alcott, Capital Rail Constructors


DCMP crews pour the leveling/erection slab in preparation for the installation of the pre-cast tubs.
Photo by Capital Rail Constructors staff

DID YOU KNOW?
The pavilion on the south side of Herndon Monroe Station will receive pedestrian bridge steel that will be assembled into the bridge sections near the TPSS#13 site. These large pieces of bridge can be seen along the south side of the Dulles Toll Road, and soon will be part of the future pedestrian bridge to Herndon Station.

Watch for Lane Shifts in Tysons Corner

Don't be surprised when you see some Dulles Rail Project construction crews working in Tysons.

Crews are doing some maintenance and warranty work at several locations and there is some need for lane closings while this work is being done.

In late March, curb realignments take place at three locations - on Tysons Boulevard and at two spots along Route 7. All three require lane closures.

Also, rail project crews and VDOT representatives, along with a team of contractors and inspectors, will clean some storm drain pipes along Route 7, using a camera to video and inspect both storm drains and underdrains.

Crews also will identify, measure and document deficiencies they may find. This work will require weekly nighttime lane closures. The first set of lane closures will be on westbound Route 7. The public will be notified in advance of this work.

VDOT and MWAA will coordinate safety and weather-related impacts on the work. Motorists are likely to see Fairfax Police Department escorts working at intersections and multiple lane closures.

Fairfax County Parking Garages: Herndon and Innovation Center
Fairfax County Department of Transportation has partnered with the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services to fund the construction of both the Herndon and Innovation Center garages. The new parking garages will feature the following amenities:

• Garage operations - Smart Trip, credit card, hours of operations similar to existing garages in the system (use of WMATA fare collection system)
• Bike racks, lockers/bike room provided at both garages
• Infrastructure provided for electric vehicle charging stations
• Innovation will have an ice-melting machine for the roof parking
• Herndon's new and existing garages will include a vehicle and pedestrian connection

Link to PDF version at Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project web site.

[cambron J]

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 02 04 2017

Things continue along at a fast pace, even faster in areas then what I would have expected at this point.

Right of way barrier construction along the Dulles Access Road is closing in on the construction access points. Jersey barriers are being installed at point between the Toll Road and Access Road where the Access Road is being realigned.

Reston Town Center has it platform slab in place. All of the cast in place concrete work to support the mezzanine is done. Precast mezzanine parapets have begun to be installed. Columns for the north entrance pedestrian bridge have begun to come up out of the ground. Escalator and elevator pits for the north entrance pavilion are mostly complete. Site clearing for the south entrance has yet to begin. Preparation are mostly complete for the pouring of the slabs at traction power substation #12 along Sunset Hill Road at the west end of the station.

Ground work for the third rail conduits at both ends on the maintenance track siding interlockings east of Herndon has been mostly complete. You can now clearly see where the maintenance track siding will be. The contractor doing the right of way barriers on both sides of the Herndon station is using two concrete slip form machines.

Herndon has the mezzanine canopy structural frame mostly complete. A hand full of pieces of steel at the west end remain to be set. The last piece of steel will be set after the tower crane is removed. All of the poured in place concrete work for the south entrance pavilion is done. Work on the column for the north entrance has begun.

Traction power substation #13 is done. All that remains to be done is the setting of the precast walls that will inclose the substation.

At traction power substation #14 east of the Innovation Center Station along Sunrise Valley Drive, the base above the ground work has yet to be brought up to elevation of the slab.

At Innovation Center the corrugated sheet medal on the mezzanine canopy appears to have had some issues as some of the panels that were in place in January are no longer there. All of the column for the south entrance pedestrian bridge are done. Foundations for the precast at the entrance pavilion have been poured. Curb and gutter work for the south entrance bus terminal has been done south of the the south entrance pavilion. Columns for the north entrance pedestrian bridges are a various stages of completion. Ground work and grading remains to be done at the north entrance.

The laying of track has begun from a point west of Innovation Center to Rudder Road at Dulles Airport on outbound track N2. The track work contractor has left a gap from the west end of the bridge over Horsepin Run to east of the interlocking west of Sulley Road. Turnout ties, parts for the turnouts and the double crossover diamond frogs have been delivered to the site of the interlocking. The preliminary engineering drawing showed a pair of crossovers in this interlocking. The layout of the third rail conduits and the presents of the diamond frogs is an obvious indication that a double crossover will be installed there. The adjacent traction power substation #15 is awaiting the the setting of the precast walls that will inclose the substation.

All of the girders from the east abutment to the east end of the Dulles Airport station have been set. Deck pouring operations are going east to west from the abutment and has begun.

Structural work to enclose the pedestrian tunnel at the Dulles Airport station entrance is well under way. A heavy duty steel girder has been installed above the opening of the pedestrian tunnel on the garage side of the station entrance. The girder is on the same line of the of the north side of the open cut wall of the mezzanine. There will be mezzanine level ancillary areas behind that wall. Three of the four mezzanine to platform elevator shaft frames are in place, the fourth one is roughly one quarter done. A frame to support the east bank of the mezzanine to platform escalators has been set, a similar frame for the upper west bank has also been set. Girder for five of the of the track bed spans remain to be set at the east end of the station, two spans on track N1 and three on track N2. Girder for the remaining two platform spans at the east end of the station remain to be set. Precast platform slabs have been set on all but one of the girders. Track bed deck slabs have been completed on the elevated west of the station along with the setting of the parapets.

Welded rail has been staged on the elevated along Airfreight Lane. I think we can safely assume track has been laid on the elevated along Autopilot Drive as most of the track fastener staged under the elevated are gone. Ground work for traction power tiebreaker station #7 under the elevated adjacent to the entrance of Avis Rent A Car return is mostly complete. Ground work at traction power substation #17 north of Autopilot Drive and Windshear Road is also mostly complete.

On the Dulles Greenway where the mainline flies over the eastbound lanes the straddle bents are done. The forms for the barring points on straddle bent 6 have been poured, forms for the barring points on straddle bent 5 appear to have not been poured. Girders have been set on the span east of the west abutment, the two other, west of the straddle bent spans have not been set. Deck slab is being poured on the west yard lead fly over of the eastbound Dulles Greenway. Rebar has been placed for the retaining walls west of the mainline west abutment. The first segment of the retaining walls west of the west yard lead abutment has been completed. Expect a roller coaster ride from where the mainline flies over the Dulles Greenway to just south of Old Ox Road as the west Yard lead junction will be on a grade several feet above the elevation of the road surface. Roughly one third of the length of the retaining wall in the area has been completed. The vertical realignment of the mainline will descend west after flying over the eastbound Dulles Greenway, pass under the west yard lead then ascend to a vertical curve east of the west yard lead junction then descend to pass under Old Ox Road. I believe the reason for doing this was the place the west yard lead junction as close to traction power substation #18 and keep the yard lead grades to a minimum.

The frame of the shop building in Dulles Yard is mostly complete. Slabs have been poured on the the upper floors and roof. Much of the ground work for the third rail conduits has been done. Trackwork has begun on parts of the storage yard ladder and the leads between the storage yard and shop building. Because of the low viewing angle it is not easy to determine the progress on all of the facilities being built in the yard.

Grading for the new alignment of the eastbound lanes of Old Ox Road adjacent to the storage tracks in Dulles yard has begun. The contractor has established a staging area up stream of the existing crossing of Old Ox Road over Horsepen Run in preparation for the shifting of the lanes from the existing alignment to the new west bound bridge to allow the construction of the eastbound bridge.

The barrier walls along the full length of the Loudoun Gateway station are done along with the invert slab under the platform. Roughly one fifth of the precast platform slabs have been set. Ground is being cleared on the south side at eastbound exit 8A of the Dulles Greenway for traction power tiebreaker station #11 adjacent to the interlocking west of the Loudoun Gateway station.

Ground work at traction power substation #19 is mostly done. Trenching of the 35 KV AC power buss is under way between Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn.

Out in Ashburn things are progressing more evenly. The barrier walls at the mezzanine end of the station have begun to come up out of the ground. At the same time the foundations for both the north and south entrance pavilion are being built along with one of the columns for the south entrance pedestrian bridge. The bus roadway that runs parallel to the Dulles Greenway for the south entrance has had the first lifts of asphalt laid alone with the curbs and gutters on the Dulles Greenway side.

###

Pictures at plus.google.com 04 02 2017
This and previous posts in this series can be seen at cambronj.blogspot.com.

[cambron J]

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 03 22 2017

Saarinen's Purpose in Design


Dulles Airport Station was designed to mimic the iconic Saarinen-designed main terminal at Dulles Airport which has been nominated for the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

Atop of the list of considerations designers of Metro's Silver Line extension through Dulles International Airport was the protecting the main terminal's façade, the result of one of architect Eero Saarinen's creative bursts.

Saarinen, the son of architect Eliel Saarinen, placed his mark on a number of familiar buildings despite living only to the age of 51. In fact, death came before many of his more well-known structures reached completion.

Eero (pronounced the same as arrow) Saarinen's first major project came after he outperformed his father in a competition to design the St. Louis Jefferson Memorial. His design resulted in the St. Louis Arch.


Saarinen got his first big break when his arch design was chosen for the St. Louis Jefferson Memorial. Saarinen's father was among the entrants.
Photo courtesy of the Jefferson National Expansion Monument.

"Our architecture is too humble. It should be prouder, more aggressive, much richer and larger than we see today," Saarinen once said, according to The Architect Who Saw the Future, part of the PBS American Masters series. "I would like to do my part in expanding that richness."

The oval-shaped road that provides access to the airport and loops around the daily and hourly parking lots at Dulles Airport bears the architect's name: Saarinen Circle.

A brain tumor took Saarinen's life in 1961 at the age of 51, before many of his projects would reach completion, including the Dulles terminal.

"He already saw it in the model stage," recalled Eric Saarinen in the film he created about his father. "He was like a giant looking down."


Eero Saarinen designed the main terminal at Dulles Airport.
Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

Saarinen believed architecture was an important part of the human endeavor, not just a way to provide space and shelter.

"Architecture also has the purpose of marking and enhancing man's time on Earth," Saarinen once said, adding that the character of those occupying building should become part of the design.

"I hope that some of my buildings will have lasting truths," he said. "I admit quite frankly I would like to have a place in architectural history."

Since 1978, the Dulles terminal has been eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

When he designed Dulles, as well as the TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport in New York, he wanted to demonstrate a sense of traveling through the air. Dulles also credits Saarinen with developing the mobile lounge concept in which roving vehicles carried passengers between the main terminal and their gates.


With his curved design for the TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport Saarinen aimed to create a sense of traveling through air. The facility now serves as a hotel at the airport.
Photo courtesy of MCR Development.

A few other projects Saarinen designed:

• The TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport in New York was Saarinen's attempt to "conquer gravity," using a curved concrete design not used at the time.
• Deere & Company's farming equipment showroom in Moline, IL.
• Saarinen-designed chairs were used in magazine ad campaigns for Coca Cola, Southern Comfort and others.
• CBS Building in New York City.
• Saarinen-designed pedestal furniture became popular in the '50s, with features such as one-legged chairs.
• Built Miller House as a private project.
• Kresge Auditorium on MIT's campus in Cambridge, MA.
• Mores and Stiles College at Yale University New Haven, CT.
• North Christian Church in Columbus, IN.</li>

The Dulles Airport Station design mimics Saarinen's design for the main terminal.

The Dulles terminal is also the reason a different design was chosen for the Silver Line's Dulles Airport Station than for the other Phase 2 stations. The design resembles the shape of the terminal.

Pedestrian Bridge Work Coming Soon to Innovation


A pedestrian bridge segment ready to be set.
Photo courtesy of Capital Rail Constructors</

Steel for roof at Loudoun Gateway going up in June

Some of the most challenging and exciting parts of construction of the Silver Line Phase 2 will begin in late May or early June.

That's when construction of the pedestrian bridges that will provide access to the stations along the 11-mile alignment from Reston to Ashburn will begin, according to John Kearney, the project's construction manager for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

The first segments of those bridges will be put into place at Innovation Station, which sits in the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway east of Route 28, near the old Center for Innovative Technology building, the upside down pyramid-shaped structure on the north side of the Dulles Toll Road corridor.

Specific dates will be announced later this month.

Cranes will be used for the installation, according to the contractor Capital Rail Constructors.

Installing these bridges will cause significant lane closures. Public notices will be issued on a weekly and daily basis before and during this work.

A schedule for installations at other stations is not yet available.

Also planned for the coming weeks:

• Continuing steel erection of the Reston Station roof.
• Beginning of erection of roof steel at Loudoun Gateway Station Setting precast concrete sections of eastern end of Dulles Station.
• Ongoing construction inside the pedestrian tunnel for those going to or from the main terminal at Dulles to Parking Garage 1.
• Road repairs and paving at the Herndon Park and Ride lot near an entrance to the station.

Rail Yard Happenings


Work is plugging along at the Rail and Maintenance Yard at Dulles Airport which will employ about 300 people.
Photo courtesy of Hensel Phelps Construction.

At the 90-acre rail yard being built on Dulles Airport property off Route 606, lots of work is taking place, according to Dave Bonnallie, construction manager of the yard.

Rail special track installations are taking place along with, site grading, seeding, road construction, and installation of lighting and other systems.

Structural steel is going up for maintenance facilities and other structures, along with roofing and interior finishing and mechanical installations.

###

Link to PDF version at Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project web site.

[202_Cyclist]

Thank you for the updates. PBS had an excellent documentary about Saarinen this past winter. in addition to designing the buildings at Yale that you mentioned, he also designed the hockey arena.

I am excited for the progress of Phase II of the Silver line but after having traveled to several European cities earlier this month, I am disappointed that the Dulles station will be so far from the terminal. Regardless, it will still be better than the 5A bus (it look use three hours to get back to DC from Dulles two weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon).

[202_Cyclist]

Court ruling paves way for Purple Line construction to begin

By Katherine Shaver
July 19, 2017
Washington Post

"A federal appeals court ruling on Wednesday will allow Maryland to begin building the Purple Line while a lawsuit opposing it continues, clearing the way for the state to pursue federal funding for a light-rail project that has faced nearly a year of legal delays.

In a major victory for the state, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit reinstated the Purple Line’s environmental approval, which a lower-court judge had revoked last year, while the legal case continues.

The ruling allows the state to try to secure $900 million in federal grants for the line’s $2 billion construction while Maryland’s attorney general appeals an earlier ruling in the 2014 lawsuit seeking to block it..."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local...=.c1fd43025957

[OhioGuy]

Finally!!

Maryland to get $900-million federal full funding agreement for Purple Line
Washington Post | August 21 at 8:45 PM

Maryland’s Purple Line will receive a $900 million federal full funding agreement from the Trump administration, officials said Monday, a critical step forward for the oft-delayed project.

The breakthrough came after “very productive, high-level conversations” on Friday and Monday between Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Hogan spokesman Doug Mayer said.

A Department of Transportation spokesman confirmed the deal, and said it is expected to be signed next week.

Construction of the 16-mile light-rail line linking Montgomery and Prince George’s counties will begin within weeks after the deal is formalized.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Thank GOODNESS!!

The Washington Metro has been in desperate need of additional connectivity for so many years.

[K 22]

Originally Posted by tascalisa

Thank GOODNESS!!

The Washington Metro has been in desperate need of additional connectivity for so many years.

I certainly like the idea of not having to go through downtown on the Red Line or take one of the J-buses to go from Bethesda to Silver Spring.

[anday]

Purple Line Groundbreaking Scheduled for Monday

Morning event will be near Hyattsville, according to information from governor’s office provided to Montgomery County officials

Dirt will soon begin to fly on the Purple Line construction project.

Gov. Larry Hogan’s office notified Montgomery County late Wednesday night that it has scheduled a groundbreaking at 10 a.m. in the Hyattsville area in Prince George’s County.

The notice sent to County Council members says the event will take place near the Md. 450 and Md. 410 interchange.