Commuters will face massive delays on the D.C. Metro as the next phase of SafeTrack repairs kicks off this weekend with a 16-day shutdown of three lines.
Officials will close two stations and initiate a 16-day shutdown Saturday of the orange, blue and silver lines between Eastern Market and Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road. Significant delays on these lines are expected, as well as overcrowding on platforms and trains. The first phase of SafeTrack which is single-tracking trains between the East Falls Church and Ballston stations ends Thursday, reports WJLA.
Metro buses will take the place of trains between Eastern Market and Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road stations and could turn Monday’s rush hour commute into a major headache. Metro says a crowded Metro car holds roughly 120 people and a full train holds roughly 1,000 riders. The buses are limited to a maximum of 60 riders. (RELATED: Major DC Metro Repair Effort Kicks Off With Track Failure, Massive Delays)
“We have almost 300,000 trips that will be impacted by reduced service during this next surge,” Sherri Ly, a Metro spokesman, told WJLA. “Keep that in mind, almost 300,000.”
The Stadium-Armory and Potomac Avenue stations will close for the entirety of the 16-day shutdown repairing sections of the orange, blue and silver lines. The stations will reopen July 3, but in the meantime, officials implore passengers to find alternate modes of transport.
Metro officials warned a week before SafeTrack that despite forewarning from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), riders are largely unprepared for the magnitude of the repair effort, estimated to cost $60 million, and for the scope of the impact it will have on daily workweek commutes.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.