Fairfax County

Sinking Metro Silver Line Parking Garage Repaired; Who Pays is Unclear

A Silver Line parking garage had to be repaired after it sunk four inches into the ground

Here's the good news: Work is starting up again on a Silver Line parking garage in Herndon that was sinking into the ground.

The bad news? The exact cost of repairs to fix the problem is unknown, and now the project is eight to 10 months behind schedule.

The problem was with huge foundational supports for the garage, which is located at the Innovation Center Station site.

While the exact cause for why the structure sank 4 inches is still under investigation, Fairfax County officials said those support structures basically weren’t put in properly.

Carey Needham, the director of building design and construction, said he decided to stop construction on the project "out of an abundance of caution."

According to project leaders, the support columns were strongly reinforced and it is safe. The green light was given for work to resume.

Meanwhile, they also must settle who will pay. A lawsuit between Fairfax County and Manhattan Construction is possible.

Manhattan Construction hasn't returned request for comment.

For commuters like resident Redmond Handy, what matters is that "they get it right. You wouldn't want to be driving in the garage and have a bunch of floors collapse on you."

The Innovation Center Station is a part of the second phase of the Silver Lineand was initially set to open in April. It's now scheduled to open between December 2019 and February 2020, according to Fairfax County.

Contact Us