Commuters, rejoice: The four Red Line stations that closed as part of Metro’s summer construction project reopened on schedule Sunday.
Metro’s summer shutdown closed the Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen and Silver Spring stations on May 31. While the Red Line was revitalized, Maryland Transit Authority crews started construction on a new Purple Line mezzanine at Silver Spring.
Work on the Purple Line mezzanine will continue at Silver Spring, but the station will be open to riders. Customers will notice scaffolding covering about one-third of the platform and can expect it to remain through 2027, Metro said in a news release. The Purple Line is expected to open in December of that year.
Other construction efforts that Metro crews completed during the shutdown include replacement of rail and grout pads, repairs on leaks and sidewalks and painting on 12,700 square feet of interior and exterior surfaces, among other projects, the transit agency said.
The summer shutdown allowed crews to complete “the equivalent of eight months of weekend closures and disruptions,” Metro said, adding that workers also replaced automatic train control systems and maintained elevators and escalators.
The transit agency announced that it will add new digital Passenger Information Displays to platforms and station entrance digital screens at all five impacted Red Line stations later this year. Those installations were not completed during the summer window due to supply chain issues.
Riders made more than 850,000 trips on Metro shuttle buses during the shutdown, the transit agency said. When the shutdown began, some commuters expressed apprehension about the shuttles.
“We thank customers for their patience as MTA made progress on this key connection between the Purple Line light rail and Metrorail,” the transit agency wrote.
