Metro Silver Line Extension to Dulles Airport Expected to Open February 2022
The Silver Line extension in Northern Virginia was first expected to be completed in 2016 and since then, it has been postponed four times due to “construction mistakes, defects and disagreements over how to correct them.”
According to a recent Washington Post article, the extension includes “six stations and a long-desired rail connection to Dulles International Airport.” The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) plans to hand over the line’s second phase to Metro on Labor Day. Metro planners told board members that it would take an additional five months of testing and preparations on the 11-mile extension between Reston and Loudoun County before it’s ready for customers. With that timeline, the opening would be in February 2022.
The constant delays since 2014 have frustrated many in the community. The hope was that the line would be ready before more workers begin commuting to offices again, likely later this year. Jeff C. McKay, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, said, “I think there would be more of an uproar if we weren’t in the midst of a pandemic. Right now, people forget how bad traffic in our region is and how helpful transit is, and so I think the outrage would be even greater if we were in normal times.”
If the main issues developers have faced can be resolved by Labor Day this year, Metro would need up to five months to prepare for opening. Testing will take about two months, followed by about 90 days to staff and train workers.
This metro extension will prove to be a significant relief for commuters due to heavy traffic in Northern Virginia and it will also allow more accessibility for travelers. The Abrams Landau law team, just 15 minutes from Dulles International Airport (IAD), has been eagerly waiting for this development in our community as we know it will help out a lot of our clients who work at IAD.
If you or someone you know was injured due to no fault of your own while traveling or working at an airport, please give us a call (703-796-9555) or email us at Abrams Landau, Ltd.