Improving tunnel ventilation stems from a National Transportation Safety Board order in response to a smoke emergency at L’Enfant Plaza six years ago that killed one passenger and hospitalized more than 80 others.
On Jan. 12, 2015, a Yellow Line train stalled inside a smoke-filled tunnel near the L’Enfant Plaza station with hundreds of commuters aboard. Delays, missteps and miscommunication involving Metro and the D.C. fire department delayed the emergency response, leaving riders onboard for about 30 minutes.
Ventilation fans were used during that incident, but investigators found that Metro had activated fans to pull smoke from both ends of the tunnel, negating their effect.
The replacement fans are more powerful and conform to National Fire Protection Association safety standards, the transit agency said. Metro’s existing fans were installed before those standards were set.
Trains will run on a single track between the Dupont Circle and Van Ness stations while crews work at the base of ventilation shafts, the transit agency said.
The project will require the closure of the Woodley Park and Cleveland Park stations over at least two weekends: Aug. 7-8 and Aug. 28-29. More weekend shutdowns could come in early 2022 for testing, Metro said. Shuttle bus service between Dupont Circle and Van Ness will connect passengers to other stations.
Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld said in a statement that contractors will be working at all hours to speed up completion.
“It is important that we continue with this safety critical work so that we are ready and able to resume normal operations as the region reopens,” he said.
Elsewhere on the Red Line, Metro plans to replace the platform canopy at the Rockville station and make canopy repairs at Shady Grove.
The concrete ceilings are about 40 years old and are deteriorating, officials said. The new canopy will include brighter LED skylights, digital screens for passenger information, new surveillance cameras and an upgraded speaker system for station announcements.
Construction will stretch about three months and require the closure of both stations from Sept. 11 through Dec. 4. Shuttle bus service between the Shady Grove and Twinbrook stations will be provided.
Metrobus service at the stations will be rerouted, but the transit agency said it has not worked out details. MARC and Amtrak service at Rockville will not be affected, Metro said.
Metro said the projects, announced in October 2020, are included in the agency’s fiscal year 2022 capital budget and can’t be deferred. Wiedefeld has expedited several other construction projects amid the pandemic, taking advantage of low ridership to move up timelines.
Ridership continues to lag far behind pre-pandemic levels, and while Board members on Thursday approved fare reductions and service increases that will take effect in the fall to attract riders.
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