If you are a driver, bus rider, or a really brave walker of Route 123 you may have noticed that the Silver Line McLean Station is well ahead of others, and actually has some hardscape and landscape elements being installed already. The wide pedestrian plaza which expands from the station shows that in all of the asphalt roadway havoc that is Route 123, a simple and cost effective change can provide a safe space for pedestrians without impact to traffic.
The lights being installed are typical of other metro stations such as West Falls Church, but the finishes are a bit more sleek. The interior and escalator section of the station is also looking great. Last week Sand Box John noted that the Tysons stations are early versions of the Bethesda “metro station of the future” that many people were excited about. Some other things to be excited about, unlike many of the other lines on WMATA’s system the Silver Line has many of the upgraded elements necessary for 8-car electrification and safety standards. This means while other lines continue weekend maintenance for the next couple of years the Silver Line, atleast between Tysons and Arlington, will be running a regular schedule.
Yesterday, Pat Nowakowski of MWAA noted that the project was on schedule for late 2013, even though WMATA has been delayed on their West Falls Church rail yard addition. That means that Tysons could see trains running in time for the always busy Christmas season, at least for some last minute shoppers.
The project administrators say the project will come in right at $2.9 billion at completion. The original bid was for $2.7 billion, which has increased most notably from a foreseen contract element left out approximately composing $150 million of the over run. There were some unknown utility relocations as well, which have been detailed in a vague manor (giving more credence to many legends about the role of Tysons and the Security industry during the 20th century).
The good news for everyone is that no major delays or cost over runs were experienced with the project. The Silver Line looks like it’s on pace to reconfigure how Northern Fairfax, Tysons, Arlington, and DC are interconnected and hopefully provide some relief for many congested parts of our region.