Metro Will Replace 130 Escalators Over Next Seven Years

Metro announced plans to replace 130 escalators at 32 stations.

A $179 million, seven year contract, was awarded to KONE Americas, with headquarters in Finland. Work is expected to begin in May. The projected date of completion is April 2027. All stations are expected to remain open during construction. The work also includes new safety features and LED lighting.

Scheduled for replacement in Montgomery County Metro stations are two escalators at Rockville, five at Silver Spring, one at Twinbrook, four at Grosvenor and two at Medical Center.

“Focused investment in safety and reliability improvements have resulted in 95 percent of Metro’s escalators being in service to customers,” said Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld. “Replacing these escalators that average 38-years old, will ensure we maintain reliability for our customers today and into the future.”

Plans include demolition of the existing elevators, running new electrical cables, rerouting power feeds, building new controllers and enclosures, removing and relocating infrastructure and equipment, according to a news release.

New escalators coming to customers at 32 Metro stations; contract awarded to replace 130 escalators over 7-years. Details: https://t.co/OSNc9fJ2ND #wmata pic.twitter.com/YHlDgvE1p7

— Metro Forward (@wmata) February 16, 2021

“As the second-busiest rapid transit system in the U.S., Metro is a vitally important component of the Washington region’s transportation infrastructure,” Ken Schmid, Executive Vice President, KONE Americas, wrote in a press release. “KONE is proud to play a part in this project, which will help improve the flow of urban life throughout the metropolitan area.”

According to Metro, 23% of the total contract will be awarded to small, minority and disadvantaged businesses.

With this new contract, 517 of the system’s 618 escalators (84%) will be replaced or rehabilitated since the program began in 2011, according to Metro’s news release.

The contract includes:

• Metro Center (9 escalators)
• Tenleytown (3 escalators)
• Ballston (6 escalators)
• National Airport (4 escalators)
• Benning Road (5 escalators)
• New Carrollton (1 escalator)
• Brookland-CUA (3 escalators)
• Pentagon (5 escalators)
• Addison Road (2 escalators)
• Capitol South (3 escalators)
• Pentagon City (4 escalators)
• Crystal City (6 escalators)
• Potomac Ave. (3 escalators)
• Deanwood (2 escalators)
• Rhode Island Ave (3 escalators)
• Dunn Loring (2 escalators)
• Rockville (2 escalators)
• Dupont Circle (3 escalators)
• Rosslyn (8 escalators)
• Farragut North (6 escalators)
• Silver Spring (5 escalators)
• Federal Center SW (3 escalators)
• Takoma (3 escalators)
• Franconia-Springfield (5 escalators)
• Tenleytown (7 escalators)
• Gallery Place (6 escalator)
• Twinbrook (1 escalator)
• Grosvenor (4 escalators)
• Union Station (2 escalators)
• L’Enfant Plaza (9 escalators)
• Vienna (3 escalators)
• Medical Center (2 escalators)
• Virginia Square (3 escalators)

About Suzanne Pollak

Suzanne is a freelance reporter with Montgomery Community Media. She has over 35 years professional experience writing for newspapers, magazines, non-profit newsletters and the web.

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