Funding for New Medical Center Station Entrance

The Metro Board Finance and Administration Committee took action on Feb. 14 to advance a new entrance at Medical Center Station on the Red Line. The MD 355 Crossing Improvements project will support increased ridership from the west side of Rockville Pike created by the expansion of the Navy National Medical Center.

The project will expand pedestrian access and enhance safety by creating a new walkway under Wisconsin Avenue to the east side of Rockville Pike. Four new escalators and two new elevators will provide access to the pedestrian tunnel from street level. Three new high-speed elevators will connect the pedestrian tunnel with the station mezzanine level.

“The new entrance and pedestrian tunnel will make it easier and safer for pedestrians traveling between the station and the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center,” said Metro General Manager and CEO Richard Sarles. “The project has the added benefit of providing redundancy to the existing station entrance escalators, which will be replaced in the coming years. I want to express our gratitude to Senators Mikulski and Cardin, Representative Van Hollen, Montgomery County Executive Legget, and Montgomery County Council member Roger Berliner for their support of this improvement.”

U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin, U.S. Congressman Chris Van Hollen and Montgomery County Executive Isiah Legget announced funding for the project in August 2012. Under the arrangement, the Department of Defense and the Federal Highway Administration will fund the $68 million project. The funds will be paid to Montgomery County, which will have responsibility for designing and constructing the new entrance starting this spring.

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