Metro and regional transportation agency officials will preview their plans to ensure a seamless bus shuttle service during the planned shutdown of several Red Line stations this summer.
The preview event is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center in downtown Silver Spring.
The Maryland Department of Transportation will build the Purple Line mezzanine during the summer, connecting the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center and the Red Line station at Silver Spring. Simultaneously, Metro will perform maintenance along the stretch between Glenmont and Fort Totten.
The work will be executed in two phases. From June 1 through June 29, Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, Silver Spring, and Takoma stations will be closed. Then, from June 30 through August 31, the construction area will be reduced, with the Takoma station reopening while the other four stations remain closed.
Free, local, and limited-stop shuttle buses will be provided between Glenmont and Fort Totten, and free express shuttle buses will operate directly between Silver Spring and downtown D.C.
Metro said in February that it will use the summer Red Line shutdown to upgrade the signaling system, install communication and train control cables, and repair the interlocking infrastructure outside the Takoma station that enables trains to transition between tracks. Additionally, Metro crews will fix leaks, replace the automatic train control system, install traction power cables, replace the drain pumping station and tunnel standpipe, and maintain elevators and escalators.
Photo: © MelissaMN – stock.adobe.com / Metro Graphics