It was 14 degrees last night in Tysons with 20 mile per hour wind gusts that made walking 1 block seem like corporal punishment. That didn’t stop the construction crew in charge of installing the walkway connection over Route 123. The massive wind tunnel that is this corridor must have made conditions difficult, especially when the snow started coming down, but it looks like the crew was able to complete its night time task without impact to morning traffic, something mother nature was incapable of doing.
It is interesting how much difference the metal work facade and walkways for the stations make in breaking the concrete monotony. Once the glass and final structure elements are added, I think more than a few snobby opinions of the “hideous monstrosity” might be tweaked. I think all Tysons residents likely wish that this system had been fully underground, but think of the above ground station as the beginning of its look. After completion the first thing to consider is, how do we make this look better. Unlike the massive cost for structural piers, electronic signaling, and expensive railing the cost for beautification will be minute.
The installation of the walkway is a reminder that all of this construction will be done within 7 more months. The concept for rail through the Dulles Corridor originally considered decades ago will be taking huge leaps forward and the fruits of that painstaking effort are already starting to paying off. Several corporations have already planned expansions and relocations along the metro line, Kapschecom, LMI, Hilton, Intelsat, Capital One, and the list goes on.
Many of these companies were already located in Fairfax, some where not, but the re-upping of contracts as well as expansion of space and employment means continued residence in our County. In a world where many companies look for the next and cheapest place to move to, having return customers is an important trait. Fairfax is finding itself in the middle of a transition from spillover leases leaving DC and Arlington, into a home for business in its own rights. At the heart of that transformation is the dedication to providing a profitable and efficient business environment, connected to not only our next door neighbors but also the world.