Metro announced Thursday it will extend its Platform Improvement Project by six days to fix a structural issue at Braddock Road Station.
Closures are now expected to continue through Sunday, Sept. 8.
The platform at Braddock Road Station is approximately 2-4 inches higher than the level of the train floor, which prevents wheelchair users from exiting trains and creates a tripping hazard for all customers, Metro says. The platform will be fixed to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
As a solution, Metro will close six Blue and Yellow line stations south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport an extra six days more than originally planned — four of which will be commuting days. Metro will also redo the tiling at these stations.
Train service south of National Airport is now expected to resume Monday, Sept. 9, Metro says.
"The Platform Improvement Project is a mega project designed to repair and improve our stations for decades to come, and we need to get it right,” said Paul J. Wiedefeld, Metro general manager and CEO.
Local shuttle and free express bus services planned for this summer will remain available for customers until the stations reopen.
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Many other projects are now underway for Metro.
At Huntington Station, the contractors will begin plans for a new, fully accessible station entrance connecting the middle parking garage to the station's platform.
Over the next three years, Metro will reconstruct the platforms at 20 outdoor stations. Following completion of the first six stations in 2019, the remaining 14 station platforms to be reconstructed in 2020-2021 are: Greenbelt, College Park, Prince George's Plaza, West Hyattsville, Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church, East Falls Church, New Carrollton, Landover, Cheverly, Addison Road, Arlington Cemetery and National Airport, says Metro.
Customers can stay up-to-date on the project at wmata.com/platforms.
