Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Progress and Pictures

[Sand Box John]

From Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 01-21-2010


The west cut-and-cover portion of the tunnel in Tysons (located at the Route 7/Route 123 interchange), as seen on the day of the big snow in December.
Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Major Changes Coming to Route 123 and Route 7

Drivers in Tysons Corner should look for lane shifts and changing traffic patterns along the area's two busiest roads - Route 7 and Route 123 - as construction of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project continues.

What to Expect Along Route 123
From the Dulles Connector Road (Route 267) South to the Capital Beltway (I-495)

Now through early February:

Lane closings weeknights on northbound and southbound lanes between the Dulles Connector Road and the Capital Beltway to install a new gas line,

Nighttime detours for traffic entering and exiting the Capital One complex, and the closing of one turn lane from Old Meadow Road onto Route 123 toward Tysons Corner Center.

As to the tunnel. Looks like they have not fully excavated the bench.

Early to mid-February:

Closings of two lanes of Scotts Crossing Road from the Gates of McLean to Route 123
and closing of the southbound right lane of Route 123 from Scotts Crossing Road to the Beltway. These closings will last approximately two years to support construction of the future Tysons East Metro station.

What to Expect Along Route 7
From Route 123 West to the Dulles Toll Road

Service roads on both sides of Route 7 will continue to close.
Additional mid-block left turns will be eliminated.
Traffic patterns on eastbound Route 7 between Route 123 and Gosnell Road will shift to make room for tunnel and station construction.
Retaining walls will continue to be built along the south side of the service roads along eastbound Route 7 as crews must build up sections of those service roads to the same elevations as Route 7. Watch for this work near Best Buy and Pike 7 Plaza.
Along Frontage Road (on the opposite side of Route 7 from Marshalls), occassional nighttime detours and traffic pattern changes will continue.

Station Construction Underway


Construction of the future Tysons East Metrorail station on Route 123.
Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Site preparation and foundation work will continue on the Tysons East station along the northwest side of Route 123 at Scotts Crossing Road.

Construction has started on the Wiehle Avenue station in the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway (DIAAH) between Wiehle Avenue and Reston Parkway. Motorists using the DIAAH should be alert for construction.


Construction of the outbound tunnel underneath International
Drive in Tysons Corner. Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

###

200' excavated from track N1 tunnel (pictured above). 40' excavated from track N2 tunnel, excavation on track N2 tunnel commenced roughly three week ago.

[Sand Box John]

From Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 03 09 2010.

No February progress update Newsletter


The outbound tunnel that will carry rail between Route 123 and Route 7 in Tysons Corner is currently 420-feet long and passes completely under International Drive. Photo by Rich Silva, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

A Year of Dulles Rail Construction Progress
Stations, Guideways, Tunnels Under Construction for Phase 1

It's been a year of progress for Dulles Rail. Since the Federal Transit Administration's approval of $900 million in "new starts" funds to complete the financial package for construction of Phase 1 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project in March 2009, construction has started all along the 11-mile alignment from East Falls Church to Reston.

More than 95 percent of the construction of manholes and duct banks necessary for relocating the 21 utilities in the Route 7 alignment area have been completed. Some overhead power lines have been permanently removed and utility crews are now working in those manholes underground to connect the new lines.

In spite of the record winter storms:

· Construction of the Wiehle Avenue Station on the eastern edge of Reston is underway.
· Crews this month will begin work on the Tysons East Station, the first of four stations that will serve Tysons Corner.
· Many of the piers are now in place for the guideway that will carry the trains from the existing Orange Line to the middle of the Dulles Connector Road and from the Dulles Connector Road to to the northwest side of Route 123 near Capital One.
· Preparations for guideway work are starting at Route 7 and the Dulles Toll Road.
· And, the mining of the two tunnels that will carry trains from Route 7 to Route 123 are proceeding on schedule. The outbound tunnel now extends completely below International Drive and mining is about 150 feet into the inbound tunnel.

Fun Facts:

· More than 1,100 are now working on Dulles Rail.
· 214 caissons, underground supports for the aerial structures, have been built.
· More than 207 concrete sections of the aerial guideway that will support the rail track have been built at a staging area at Dulles Airport.
· Bridges are under construction to carry the rail tracks over Pimmit Run, the WO&D Trail in Reston, and Magarity Road.


Pier guideway construction underway at the I-66 and Dulles Connector Road (Route 267) interchange. Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project
(I took some pictures from this location on my last visit to the area)

Big Changes Coming to Route 7

Heavy snow delayed plans for major changes to Route 7 in Tysons Corner until April. Here is what to expect:

· Elimination of all mid-block left turns.
· Shifting of traffic lanes on eastbound Route 7 between Route 123 and Gosnell Road to make room for construction of the Tysons Central 7 Station.
· Continuing construction of retaining walls along some sections of eastbound Route 7 where crews are elevating the existing service roads to the same grade as Route 7. This is taking place near Pike 7 Plaza and Best Buy.


Construction of retaining walls on Route 7, necessary to build up the service roads to the same grade as Route 7 for lane shifting. Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Old Chain Bridge Road Closing for 4 Weeks

Construction of the metrorail project will cause the closing of Old Chain Bridge Road between Great Falls Street and Anderson Road in the McLean area in April for approximately four weeks, pending development of detailed plans.

A large truss will be assembled at the Dulles Connector Road bridge over Old Chain Bridge Road. This is a very large, rigid structure that will be used to build the elevated track. It will start at the abutment and piers that are under construction where the Dulles Connector Road runs over Old Chain Bridge Road.

Residents who live along Old Chain Bridge Road will continue to have access to their houses but through traffic will be shut down. Detours will be set up to handle through traffic.

Old Chain Bridge Road is a popular shortcut for those seeking to bypass the busy Route 123/Great Falls Street/Lewinsville Road intersection traveling to and from McLean's business district and Great Falls Street, Westmoreland and Old Dominion Drive and eventually back to Route 123 near Salona Village.

Details will be announced as soon as they are available.


Truss assembly taking place at Dulles Airport. Soon, trusses will be all along the corridor as the guideways go up to support construction. Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Tysons East Station Construction Begins


Pier construction at the Dulles Connector Road and Route 123 interchange leading up to the future Tysons East Station. Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Construction of the Tysons East Metrorail Station, the first station to be built in Tysons Corner, has started, bringing with it traffic pattern changes and detours for residents, workers, shoppers and those who use Route 123 near the Dulles Connector Road bridge.

· The right lane of southbound Route 123 from Scotts Crossing Road to the entrance ramp to northbound I -495 is closed for two years, but the ramp remains open.
· The entrance ramp for southbound Route 123 from the McLean area to the eastbound Dulles Connector Road and I-66 is closed for three months for erection of piers that will support the guideway for the rail tracks from the Dulles Connector Road to the northwest side of Route 123 and the Tysons East Station.
· Scotts Crossing Road will be narrowed.
· Caisson testing, which sounds like a small explosion, continues.

Two-Month Detour Along Tysons Boulevard

The two left turn lanes from northbound Route 123 to westbound Tysons Boulevard will be closed for approximately two months starting in mid-March as work begins on the Tysons Central 123 Station.

Traffic will be detoured to International and Galleria Drives. Southbound Route 123 traffic will continue to make right turns to Tysons Boulevard.

Pedestrian Bridge Begins at Wiehle Station Site

Travelers on the Dulles international Airport Access Highway will continue to see narrowed lanes between Wiehle Avenue and Reston Parkway because of Wiehle Avenue Metrorail Station construction.

Some lanes will closed on the Dulles Toll Road where foundations will be built for piers that will support pedestrian bridges connecting the station to both sides of the Airport Highway/Toll Road.

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March 2010 Newsletter (289 KB PDF file) Text and pictures same as above

[Sand Box John]

From Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 04 23 2010


Retaining walls on Route 7, necessary to build up the service roads to the same grade as Route 7 for lane shifting.
Photo by Stephen Barna, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Visible Construction to Take Place Along Corridor

Major Rail Construction About to Take Place Along the Mile-Long Stretch of Route 7 Between Route 123 and the Dulles Toll Road

Residents and commuters must be constantly alert for changing traffic patterns and construction equipment.

Most of the service roads that had been on both sides of Route 7 have been closed. Most of the mid-block left turns have been or will soon be eliminated.

By the end of summer, both the Tysons Central 7 and the Tysons West Metrorail stations will be under construction.

Route 7 will be widened to accommodate those stations in its median.

Along portions of the eastbound lanes, crews are building retaining walls to support the elevations of the old service roads to the same levels as Route 7.  This will create space to push those lanes to make room not only for the major shift in traffic lanes but to create construction staging areas for those stations.  Rail officials have been working with owners of all affected properties for many months.

Construction of the westbound end of the tunnel that will carry trains from Route 123 to Route 7 is well under way next to Route 123 and on the north side of Route 7 near the landmark water and communications towers.

Throughout construction, entrances to all businesses will be maintained.

Rail project officials will continue to work with businesses to keep them informed as construction ramps up.


Route 7 retaining wall construction under way near the future Tysons Central 7 Metro Station.
Photo by Stephen Barna, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Truss Moving Into Place for Erection of Aerial Guideway Spans Along Dulles Connector Road

Drivers in Tysons Corner will soon be looking up and seeing big equipment in the sky when crews begin construction of the aerial guideway that will carry Metrorail trains along portions of Routes 123 and 7 and the Dulles Connector Road (Route 267).

Huge pieces of equipment, known as trusses, will be used to lift large concrete segments into the air to create several miles of the aerial guideway spans in Tysons Corner.

The first truss is being put into place along the Dulles Connector Road overpass of Chain Bridge Road where the first part of the aerial system will be built. Not only will this work be eye-catching and create gawking, it requires closing one lane of Chain Bridge Road from time to time.  Flagmen will be at the site to direct traffic.  Drivers and pedestrians are encouraged to use extreme caution in this area during the coming months.

Aerial construction will soon take place at other locations along Routes 123 and 7


The first guideway span erection, taking place on the Dulles Connector Road at the Chain Bridge Road overpass.
Photo by Stephen Barna, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Tysons Central 123 Station Under Construction

Foundations are now being built for the Tysons Central 123 Station. It will serve Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria. This will be the busiest station in Phase 1 of the project.

The left-turn lane from northbound Route 123  to westbound Tysons Boulevard will be closed for approximately two months starting in the overnight hours of Friday, April 30 for caisson and pier installation. Traffic will be detoured to International and Galleria Drives. Southbound Route 123 traffic will continue to make right turns to Tysons Boulevard.


The Tysons Central 123 Metrorail Station construction is beginning, at the Route 123 and Tysons Boulevard intersection.
Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Wiehle Avenue Station Construction Begins

The Wiehle Avenue Station is in the median of the Dulles Toll Road and the Dulles International Airport Access Highway on the eastern edge of Reston.  The station platform is being built with caissons.

Work will begin soon on the pedestrian bridges from the station to the north and south sides of the Dulles Toll Road.


Caissons under construction for the foundations of the Wiehle Avenue Metro Station site.
Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Free Mid-Day Shuttle Buses Provide Easy Way to Move In and Around Tysons

The weather outside is delightful for taking a bus ride!  Especially if the ride is free and gets you through mid-day traffic without having to drive.

The Tysons Connector buses, clad in orange and blue, provide that opportunity to those who work and live in the core of Tysons Corner on weekdays.

Funded by the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project and operated by the Fairfax County Connector, the free buses run every 10 minutes weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and stop at key locations throughout the heart of Tysons Corner, including Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria.  For information about stops, click here.

In addition, in June, the Rail Project is paying for new express buses from Loudoun County to several locations near major businesses in Tysons Corner. Details can be found here.

These services are part of the Rail Project's efforts to ease congestion in Tysons Corner.


Free buses run every 10 minutes in the core of Tysons during mid-day hours.
Photo courtesy of Fairfax County DOT

[Sand Box John]

Pictures of post-tension assemble truss gantry 05 08 2010:

The assemble truss gantry can move laterally to allow the assemble of segments for each of the parallel spans. The truss rig is presently located above where the inbound track N1 span will be.


The near end is the sitting on the abutment.


First segment attach to hoist.


This one gives you a sense of scale.








This one was taken from Chain Bridge Road.

[Sand Box John]

From Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 05 12 2010.


Truss erection at the Dulles Connector Road (Route 267) and Chain Bridge Road overpass.
Photo by Stephen Barna, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Building Bridges for Rails in Tysons Corner

Aerial Superstructure Construction Begins

Construction will begin soon on what can best be described as "bridges" over Tysons.

One will begin this month on the Dulles Connector Road (Route 267) and cross over Route 123 to the northwest side of southbound Route 123.  Another will cross I-495.  Another will be built in the median of Route 7 from just west of Route 123 and into the median of the Dulles Airport Access Highway and the Dulles Toll Road.

These bridges are really guideways, or aerial foundations, to carry the tracks for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.

Construction of the new rail line, an extension of existing Metrorail service from East Falls Church to Dulles Airport and eastern Loudoun County, is being built in two phases. Phase 1 work is well under way from I-66 to Wiehle Avenue in Reston.  Four stations will serve Tysons Corner.

The first of those 366-ton trusses is now visible near the Dulles Connector Road and Route 123 where construction of piers that will support the aerial guideways have been built in recent months.  Soon it will be used to build the spans of the aerial guideway between those piers.  In a few months, other trusses will be assembled to erect guideways that cross I-495 and in the middle of Route 7.


Segments are manufactured off-site at a precast facility near Dulles Airport.
Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Here is a guide to the erection of the spans in Tysons Corner:

Q. What is a guideway?
A. A guideway is a structure that supports trains or other vehicles that ride over it. This project features both at-grade and aerial guideways.

Q. How many miles of this project are aerial guideway?
A.  Of the entire Phase 1 alignment of 11.7 miles, three miles of inbound and outbound guideway will be aerial - or a total of six miles of aerial track.

Q. What is the average height of the guideway (from ground level to the base of the guideway)?
A. The average above-ground height is 35.7 feet.

Q. What is the tallest point of the guideway?
A. Approximately 55 feet above the southbound entrance from Route 123 to I-495.

Q. Where will aerial guideway be built? 
A. Aerial guideway begins where the new line splits off from the existing WMATA Orange Line tracks just before the West Falls Church Metrorail Station and yard.  It will fly over the westbound lanes of I-66 and descend to the median of the Dulles Connector Road (Route 267). 

Aerial guideway resumes at the Connector Road near the Chain Bridge Road overpass, then crosses over the eastbound lanes of the Connector Road onto the northwest side of Route 123, and into the Tysons East Station.  The rail will continue at elevated level, flying over I-495 and into the Tysons Central 123 Station where the rail line briefly goes underground. 

The tunnel portion resurfaces in the median of Route 7, at the Tysons Central 7 Station.  From there, the rail line goes aerial again along the median of Route 7 to the Dulles Toll Road.  One more flyover takes the guideway westward from Route 7, and the guideway then begins its descent to the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway, reaching ground level well before Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.

Q. How will the aerial structure be built?
A. The guideway will be constructed by connecting more than 2,700 concrete segments, each weighing about 25 to 40 tons, using massive pieces of equipment called trusses.  A truss is also known as a lifting gantry. 

Q.  What is a truss?  How much do they weigh?  How big are they?
A.  A truss, or launching gantry, is a large, rigid structure that will erect and piece together the segments of the aerial guideway.  The first truss that will be used has a total weight (structure and supports) of 366 tons.

Q. How many different trusses will be needed for this project?
A.  Three.
   
Q. How and where are they being assembled?  How will they be moved along the alignment?
A. Trusses are self-propelling mechanisms that erect spans between each pier.  They will be assembled at the locations where the segment erection will begin.

Q.  What is a segment?  How big are they?
A.  A "segment" is a large, unique piece of reinforced precast concrete designed to interlock with other segments to form a "span" between two piers.  The segments are held together with steel cables, called post-tensioning strands.  Spans make up the guideway.

Q. Where are the segments being made?  How many are needed; what is the process?
A.  The segments are all being fabricated off-site at a precast facility located in a remote area of Dulles Airport.  More than 2,700 segments will be constructed and trucked to sites along the alignment.  Each segment is custom engineered to fit a specific location along the alignment.

The casting plant is located on the site of the future Dulles Yard. The future Dulles Yard will be located in the 44300 block of Old Ox Road in Sterling, Virginia.

Q. How are they connected?
A.  The truss' lifting mechanisms hoist the segments into place in the alignment, where they are sealed with epoxy, joined and aligned. The spans have steel tendons (post-tensioning strands) running through the interior of each segment that "string" the segments together into place.

Q. How big are the piers that will support the guideway?
A. Piers vary in height; most piers are 6'x7', 7'x7' or 7'x9' rectangular columns.

Q. Who is the subcontractor?  Describe their experience building guideways for other transit systems.
A. Rizzani de Eccher, headquartered in Italy, is the subcontractor that is fabricating the precast segments. The aerial team consists of leadership from Dulles Transit Partners (design/build contractor) and Rizzani's U.S. division.  This team brings a combined experience of 50-plus years working on worldwide aerial and bridge projects.

Q. Will the work be done at night or during daylight hours?
A. For safety reasons, most of the work will be done during daylight hours, but some work may have to take place at night.

Q. The aerial guideway is being built in a densely populated area where cars and pedestrians are constantly present.  What happens when construction is above roads and sidewalks?  Will it be safe for cars and pedestrians?  What are the safety procedures?
A. Traffic will be stopped momentarily when the truss moves over a roadway in between piers, and when the truss lifts segments from a truck onto its portion of the alignment.  In some cases, to ensure everyone's safety, support work will require overnight closures of some main roadways.  Contractors must adhere to a formal and extensive safety program while executing this work.

Q. When does the first work begin and where?
A. Construction of caissons, piers and pier caps to support the aerial guideway have been under way for several months and are very visible in the median of the Dulles Connector Road.  The superstructure will begin at the Tysons East guideway, at the Dulles Connector Road and Route 123 and move across I-495. Expected completion: Late 2011.

Q. What is the schedule for Route 7 guideway construction?
A. Once the road shift on Route 7 occurs this summer, drilling of caissons (the underground foundations for piers that support the guideway) will follow.  Expected completion: Mid-2011.

Q. Cost of the aerial guideway construction?
A. $170 million.


Piers on the Dulles Connector Road. The truss will connect the piers with the aerial guideway.
Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

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PDF version click here (268 KB)

[Sand Box John]

Stations, Aerial Bridges for Track Under Construction

Truss Building Spans on Dulles Connector Road Toward Route 123


The truss located on the Dulles Connector Road is now in action as it lifts the segments to build the aerial guideway tracks.
Photo by Stephen Barna, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

For weeks, a giant yellow and blue truss has been in place along the Dulles Connector Road (Route 267)  near Route 123 where the trains will move from the Connector Road to the northwest side of Route 123. That truss weighs about 366 tons and is now being used to lift huge concrete segments into place to make the spans between piers that will create the aerial bridges for support tracks across Tysons Corner.  Those piers have been built along Route 123 and in the middle of the Dulles Connector Road.   

A different truss will be put into place to build the spans across I-495 starting this fall, and a third truss will be used for aerial spans to be built in the middle of Route 7 in Tysons Corner.


Inside the connected segments being built as part of the aerial guideway.
Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Connecting with Metro's Orange Line

Trains on the Dulles Corridor Metrorail extension will merge with Metro's existing Orange Line just east of the West Falls Church Metrorail Station and use the existing Metrorail tracks to carry passengers all the way to the Stadium Armory Metro Station. That means passengers boarding future trains in Tysons Corner, Reston, Washington Dulles International Airport and Ashburn will not need to transfer to get into downtown Washington.

Building the track connections to make this system work is not easy. For many months crews have been building caissons and piers that will carry the tracks from the new line to the existing Orange Line near I-66 and the Dulles Connector Road. Metro service was disrupted for several weeks so additional piers could be built adjacent to the existing tracks.

Now the construction of the aerial guideway is taking place in that area.


* Precast concrete span beam on aerial guideway in media of Dulles Connector Road north of I-66. (inbound track N1)
Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project


* Pear construction in median of westbound I-66.
Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project


Construction at the I-66/Dulles Connector Road interchange, where the new line will merge with the existing Orange Line.
Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Work Beginning on all Five Phase 1 Stations


Construction of the Wiehle Avenue Station in the median of the Dulles Toll Road and Dulles International Airport Access Highway.
Photo by John Odorisio

Construction is now beginning on the Tysons Central 7 Metrorail Station along Route 7 just west of the Route 123 overpass.

The station is being built in the median of Route 7 between SAIC on the north side of the road and the Marshalls Shopping Center on the south. The eastbound lanes of Route 7 from just east of Spring Hill Road to Koons was shifted about 40 feet south in early June to make way for station construction.

In late summer, a similar lane shift will take place on Route 7 between Spring Hill and Tyco Roads to make room for construction of the Tysons West Metrorail Station, also in the median of Route 7.

Construction is already under way on the Tysons East Station on the northwest side of Route 123 at Scotts Crossing Road/Colshire Drive and at the Tysons Central 123 Station, also on the north side of Route 123, near Tysons Galleria and Tysons Corner Center.


Tysons East Station construction progressing on Route 123 near the Colshire Drive intersection.
Photo by Stephen Barna, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Construction of the platform for the Wiehle Avenue Station, the fifth station in Phase 1 of the Dulles Rail Project, has started in the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway, just west of the Wiehle Avenue overpass.

By fall, construction of  all five of the Phase 1 rail stations  will be taking place. 

Piers, Piers, Piers

Piers will soon be built in the median of Route 7 and along the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway and the Dulles Toll Road just west of Route 7, using the same processes that are being used from I-66 and the Dulles Connector Road and along Route 123.

Utility Relocations Almost Completed in Tysons

During the past several years, crews have relocated and undergrounded 21 different utilities along Routes 7 and 123.

Those relocations are 95 percent complete, and most of the old brown utility poles that lined Route 7 are gone. In place below ground are room-sized manholes and ductbanks where utility operators have pulled and spliced cable that support the demands of the businesses and residents of Tysons Corner. When future expansions and repairs are needed, crews can do that work inside the new manholes without digging up the new roadway.

Moving Along Far Below Tysons Corner

Construction of the outbound and inbound tunnels that will carry tracks to and from Routes 123 and 7 is on schedule.

Miners using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) have completed more than 1,000 feet of the outbound tunnel and more than 750 feet of the inbound tunnel. Both tunnels are completed below International Drive, one of the busiest thoroughfares in Tysons Corner.

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* Photo not in newsletter.

June 2010 Newsletter (317 KB PDF file) Text and pictures same as above with the exception of the two picture.

[Sand Box John]

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Construction Photos 06-23-2010

The first pair of post tension spans are done. The outbound track N2 span of the second pair is done, the segments for the inbound track N1 are hanging from the gantry.

The column between tracks K1 and K3 east of the West Falls Church station now has a bearing cap on it and is ready for span beams to be set. Most of the adjacent column to be built on the 1977 piles haven't come out of the ground yet.

5 of the 10 precast concrete beams (3 inbound track N1, 2 outbound track N2) have been set on the columns on the north end of the flyover in the media of the Dulles Connector Road VA-267. Not sure how many precast concrete beams will be used on south end in the media of VA-66.

All of the pile driving for elevated columns is done east of the Tyson Central 123 (Tysons Center) station. Most of the columns are done between the Dulles Connector Road VA-267 and the Tyson East (WestGate) station and at the crossing of the Capitol Beltway VA I-495.

As of 06 21 2010 more then 1,000' of the roughly 1,700' long outbound track N2 bored tunnel has been excavated, more the 750' of the inbound track N1 tunnel has been excavated.

About 3/4 of the first segment of the outbound track N2 cut and cover tunnel is done, roughly 1/4 of the inbound track N1 tunnel is done.

Piles along the eastbound side of the Tysons Central 7 (Pike Seven Plaza) station in the ditch have been driven.

The segment of shifted eastbound lanes on Leesburg Pike VA-7 between Dolly Madison Boulevard VA-123 and just beyond halfway from Gosnell Road to Spring Hill Road is permanent. The right edge has a curb and gutter. Behind the gutter is a strip of fresh sod and a 6' wide concrete side walk. This is the first time the roads around a future surface metrorail will be totally completed before major construction begins.

N Route Silver line flyover east of West Falls Church Station:


Columns, pier construction VA I-66.


Columns, pier construction VA I-66.


Column stub between track K1 and K2 east of West Falls Church station with new bearing cap.


Columns, pier construction VA I-66.


Columns, pier construction VA I-66.



Columns VA-267 Dulles Connector Road north of VA I-66.


Columns VA-267 Dulles Connector Road north of VA I-66.


Columns VA-267 Dulles Connector Road north of VA I-66.


Columns VA-267 Dulles Connector Road north of VA I-66.


Columns VA-267 Dulles Connector Road north of VA I-66.


Columns VA-267 Dulles Connector Road north of VA I-66.


Span beams outbound track N2 north end of flyover.


Span beams, abutment retaining wall piles outbound track N2 north end of flyover.


Span beams outbound track N2 north end of flyover.


Span beams outbound track N2 north end of flyover.


Span beams inbound track N1 north end of flyover.

Post-tension bridge segment lifting gantry:





Outbound track N2.


Outbound track N2.


Outbound track N2.


Segments attach to hoists inbound track N1.


Segments attach to hoists inbound track N1.


Segments attach to hoists inbound track N1.


Segments attach to hoists inbound track N1.


Segments attach to hoists inbound track N1.


Segments attach to hoists inbound track N1.

Column construction in VA-267 Dulles Connector Road VA-123 Dolly Madison Boulevard interchange:


Columns, post-tension segment lifting gantry. VA-267 Dulles Connector Road south of VA-123 Dolly Madison Boulevard.


Columns, beam form VA-267 Dulles Connector Road VA-123 Dolly Madison Boulevard interchange.


Columns, beam form VA-267 Dulles Connector Road VA-123 Dolly Madison Boulevard interchange.


Columns, beam form VA-267 Dulles Connector Road VA-123 Dolly Madison Boulevard interchange.


Columns, beam form VA-267 Dulles Connector Road VA-123 Dolly Madison Boulevard interchange.


Columns VA-267 Dulles Connector Road VA-123 Dolly Madison Boulevard interchange.


Columns VA-267 Dulles Connector Road VA-123 Dolly Madison Boulevard interchange.


Columns VA-267 Dulles Connector Road VA-123 Dolly Madison Boulevard interchange.



Columns VA-267 Dulles Connector Road VA-123 Dolly Madison Boulevard interchange.

Column construction along Dolly Madison Boulevard, Tyson East (WestGate) station:


Column VA-123 Dolly Madison Boulevard between Chain Bridge Road on Scotts Crossing Road.


Columns footings east of Tyson East (WestGate) station.


Columns footings east of Tyson East (WestGate) station.


Tyson East (WestGate) station.


Tyson East (WestGate) station.


Tyson East (WestGate) station.

Column construction in VA I-495 Capitol Beltway VA-123 Dolly Madison Boulevard interchange:











Column construction east of Tysons Central 123 (Tysons Center) station.







Cut and cover tunnel trenches in VA-7 Leesburg Pike VA-123 Dolly Madison Boulevard interchange:


Cut and cover tunnel trenches north side of Leesburg Pike VA-7.


Inbound track N1 cut and cover tunnel North side of Leesburg Pike VA-7.


Inbound track N1 cut and cover tunnel North side of Leesburg Pike VA-7.


Outbound track N2 cut and cover tunnel North side of Leesburg Pike VA-7.


Outbound track N2 cut and cover tunnel North side of Leesburg Pike VA-7.

Tysons Central 7 (Pike Plaza) station:


Grading for lane shift westbound Leesburg Pike VA-7.


Grading for lane shift westbound Leesburg Pike VA-7.


Grading for lane shift westbound Leesburg Pike VA-7.


Shoring piles south side of Tysons Central 7 (Pike Plaza) station.


Shoring piles south side of Tysons Central 7 (Pike Plaza) station.


Shoring piles south side of Tysons Central 7 (Pike Plaza) station.


Curb, gutter and sidewalk south side of Leesburg Pike VA-7 between Dolly Madison Boulevard VA-123 and Gosnell Road.


Curb, gutter and sidewalk south side of Leesburg Pike VA-7 between Dolly Madison Boulevard VA-123 and Gosnell Road.


Curb, gutter and sidewalk south side of Leesburg Pike VA-7 between Dolly Madison Boulevard VA-123 and Gosnell Road.

[Sand Box John]

From Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 07 22 2010.


Construction crews work into the night atop a pier in the middle of the existing Metro tracks along I-66 approaching the Dulles Connector Road.
(Night shot of the work that was done on the column stub between tracks K3 and K1 east of the West Falls Church station.)
Photo by Chuck Samuelson, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Construction Ramps Up from East Falls Church to Reston

Motorists, Pedestrians Urged to Use Caution All Along the Rail Corridor

Dulles Corridor Metrorail construction is visible all along the 11.7-mile alignment of Phase 1 of the 23-mile extension of Metro's existing Orange Line.

By early fall, construction of all five stations between East Falls Church and Reston will be under way. Crews are building aerial bridges to carry tracks across the westbound lanes of I-66 near the Dulles Connector Road (Route 267) where the rail extension will tie into the Orange Line. There is ongoing bridge construction at Pimmit Run and Magarity Road. Pile driving activities will continue through September all along the Connector Road as tracks are built at grade level in most areas.

As the Connector Road approaches Route 123, a 400-ton truss is being used to erect bridge spans between piers to carry the tracks from the Connector Road to the northwest side of Route 123 and to the Tysons East Metrorail Station, already under construction near Scotts Crossing Road.

Pier construction continues along Route 123. This month, another erection truss will be assembled in a cloverleaf of the Capital Beltway at Route 123. Later this fall, it will be used to erect bridge spans to carry the rail tracks above the Beltway.

Behind a green fence that encompasses the main construction site bordered by Route 123, Tysons Boulevard, Galleria Drive and International Drive, crews have started the Tysons Central 123 Station near Tysons Corner Center and the Galleria at the corner of Route 123 and Tysons Boulevard.

At Route 123 and International Drive are the entrances to the inbound and outbound tunnels that will carry tracks from Route 123 to Route 7 and the Tysons Central 7 Station in the median of Route 7. Tunnel miners have now completed approximately 1,150 feet of the outbound tunnel and more than 890 feet of the inbound tunnel.

Earlier this summer, eastbound Route 7 from the Best Buy area to Route 123 was widened significantly as the roadway shifted 40 feet south. This was necessary to provide space for the Tysons Central 7 Station where preliminary construction work is taking place.

Later this summer, a similar shift will take place from the Best Buy area west to the Dulles Toll Road/Route 7 interchange. When that happens, construction will begin on the Tysons West Station in the median of Route 7 between Spring Hill and Tyco Roads. Meanwhile, drivers can expect multiple lane closings in this area day and night.

Crews have also started work on the aerial bridges that will carry tracks from Route 7 to the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway and the Dulles Toll Road.

For several months, crews have been working on the Wiehle Avenue Station in the middle of the Airport Highway just west of Wiehle Avenue. This station is the last station in Phase 1. Also in the Reston area, work continues on the rail bridge over the W&OD Trail.

Rail project officials are urging drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians to be extremely careful when driving in the construction areas and to be alert for changing traffic patterns and lane shifts.


Pedestrians have a little bit of help crossing the widened Route 7 at Westpark Drive/Gosnell Road because crews have installed new traffic signals to allow walkers to walk halfway across, stop and press a signal button to get a green light to continue to cross the road. Site preparations for construction of the Tysons Central 7 Metrorail Station are visible in the median.
Photo by Stephen Barna, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Lane Shifts on Dulles Airport Access Road Make Space for Wiehle Station Construction


This design for the Wiehle Avenue Metrorail Station is the prototype for stations in Phase 2 of the Dulles Rail Project except for the station at Washington Dulles International Airport.
Rendering by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Drivers using the Dulles Toll Road and Dulles International Airport Access Highway continue to experience some lane shifts and closings from Tysons Corner to Reston.

Prep work for tracks continue all along the corridor and crews continue to work to complete bridges for rail tracks at several locations.

Crews are now building platform walls and installing water lines and drain lines for the station.

But the most intense construction efforts are taking place at the site of the Wiehle Avenue Metrorail Station in the median of the Dulles Airport Access Highway and the Dulles Toll Road where the station platform is increasingly visible every day.

This work is causing significant lane shifts in the eastbound and westbound lanes of the Airport Highway to create a sufficiently large construction zone to build this station. It will be the last stop in Phase 1 of the 23-mile extension of the existing Metro system.



Wiehle Avenue Station construction in the median of the Dulles Airport Access Highway/Dulles Toll Road in between the Wiehle Avenue and Reston Parkway overpasses.
Photo by Shea Daugherty, Dulles Transit Partners

Free Bus Rides in Tysons During Lunch Time

It is too hot to walk or jump in a hot car to go to lunch these days. Instead, those who live and work in Tysons Corner can jump on one of the bright orange and blue Tysons Connector buses and take a free ride to Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria mid-day.

Funded by the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, the buses run every 10 minutes weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., stopping  at key locations. The buses are operated by Fairfax County. For more information click here.

Pier Construction Continues Along Route 123 and the Dulles Connector Road

Pier construction impacts on southbound Route 123 are scheduled to last approximately another three months near the Dulles Connector Road between McLean and I-495. Lanes have shifted to the right on southbound Route 123 at the Connector Road overpass to create a work zone for pier construction.

Left lane closures are also expected in this area as the work continues.

Meanwhile, the ramp from southbound Route 123 to the eastbound Dulles Connector Road (toward eastbound I-66) will remain closed through October. When the ramp first closed in March, it was expected to have reopened this summer. However, VDOT agreed with the Rail Project's recommendation to leave the ramp closed until additional pier construction is completed.



Intermittent closings will take place along the W&OD Trail as it passes under the Dulles Airport Access Highway/Dulles Toll Road in the coming weeks as crews continue to build the bridge that will carry the rail tracks over the trail. Trail users will continue to experience detours on the trail in this area. Rail Project officials are urging bicyclists and pedestrians to be extremely vigilant in this area. Details of the closings will be posted at www.dullesmetro.com.
Photo by Stephen Barna, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

[Sand Box John]

From Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 08 05 2010.

Construction update out early this month.


The newly shifted Route 7 to accommodate the Tysons Central 7 Station in the median, as seen from Route 123, in Tysons Corner.
Photo by Stephen Barna, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Second Route 7 Lane Shift Coming This Summer

Road Being Widened for Construction of Tysons Central 7 and Tysons West Metrorail Stations

Another big change is coming to Route 7. On or around August 25, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project crews will dramatically shift the eastbound lanes south into parking lots of car dealers and other retailers from the Best Buy area west to the Dulles Toll Road (Route 267) interchange.

This shift will create the large construction zone that is needed in the median of Route 7 to build the future Tysons West Metrorail Station. This change involves both the Westwood Center Drive/Tyco Road and Spring Hill Road intersections where pedestrians and drivers will need to pay special attention to new lane patterns and the wider Route 7 crosswalks.

The last remaining mid-block left turn between Route 123 and the Dulles Toll Road will also be closed. That means drivers will no longer be able to make left turns across oncoming traffic directly into businesses on this stretch of Route 7 from 123 to the Toll Road. Instead, drivers will be able to make U-turns at the existing intersections: Gosnell Road/Westpark Drive, Spring Hill Road and Westwood Center Drive/Tyco Road.

Earlier this summer, Route 7 eastbound from the Best Buy area to Route 123 was shifted more than 40 feet southward to create the construction zone for the Tysons Central 7 Station near SAIC, the Marshalls shopping center and Pike 7 Plaza.

This change provided residents, commuters and shoppers a stunning view of what construction of rail stations in the middle of Route 7 will look like and how wide the roadway will be. But it also changed driving patterns. For example, drivers exiting Pike 7 and the Marshalls center can no longer turn left on to westbound Route 7. They must turn right heading east, turn right on Route 123 south to a right on Old Courthouse Road/Gosnell Road to return to Route 7 where they turn left and head west.

Also, pedestrians crossing Route 7 and Gosnell Road/Westpark Drive saw a change in traffic signals. New signals that allow walkers to cross halfway and push buttons to get signal changes to allow them to cross the other half of Route 7 are now in place.

In the coming weeks, changes also will be made in the westbound lanes from Route 123 to the Toll Road when those lanes are shifted north to or just beyond the curb lines of the service roads that are now being abandoned to create a wider roadbed. These shifts will not be as substantial as the shifts on the eastbound lanes, but traffic patterns will change.


Crews work on the new eastbound lanes of Route 7 near the Nissan and Infiniti dealerships and Ruth's Chris Steak House where the roadway will be widened to make room for construction of the rail line and the Tysons West Metrorail Station just west of this area.
Photo by Stephen Barna, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Moving Along Below Ground: Tunnel Work Progresses Toward Route 7


Miners working on the tunnels create dramatic underground scenes below the intersection of Routes 123 and 7.
Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Construction of the inbound and outbound tunnels that will carry rail tracks from Route 123 to Route 7 in Tysons Corner continues at a steady pace.

Miners continue to use the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) six days a week to build these tunnels through the highest natural point in Fairfax County.

By the end of July, the outbound tunnel measured  1,218 feet and the inbound tunnel was at 957 feet. When completed the tunnels will be 2,400 feet.


Civil crews have been working on several bridges over roads, trails and streams. This bridge work over Magarity Road in the median of the Dulles Connector Road (Route 267) is the beginning of some of the superstructure work, which requires massive amounts of rebar, concrete and system support. These bridges are part of the at-grade portions of the track that will eventually carry the fututre rail tracks.
Photo by Chuck Samuelson, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Night Closings of I-66 Coming

Overnight closures of westbound I-66 at the Dulles Connector Road (Route 267) split are expected to begin before the end of August, causing significant detours.

The closures will allow Dulles Rail construction crews to build large concrete structures that will straddle the road between piers near where the new rail line will merge into Metro's existing Orange Line. The structures are known as straddle bents. Traffic will not be allowed to flow below this construction work for safety reasons.

The closings will take place over a period of about five weeks but the specific dates have not been set. The closings will happen during overnight hours from midnight to 5 a.m. All lanes will be reopened by the morning rush.

When I-66 westbound lanes close, traffic will be detoured on to the Dulles Connector Road westbound, to Route 123 south toward Tysons Corner, to a right turn to the ramp to the Capital Beltway south toward Richmond.  Drivers can then rejoin I-66 from the Beltway.

Second Erection Truss Coming to Tysons Corner

Crews soon will begin building a second of the large yellow and blue trusses that are being used to build the bridges to carry the aerial tracks for the rail line along the northwest side of Route 123 in Tysons Corner.

Work is scheduled to begin by mid-August on the truss that will be used to erect spans of the bridges above the Capital Beltway between piers. The assembly will take place along Route 123 in a cloverleaf at the Beltway.

Construction will start on the spans above the Beltway in October.

Drivers using Route 123 should already be seeing sections of the truss being moved to the site.

This truss is slightly different from the one that is now erecting spans along the Dulles Connector Road (Route 267) near Route 123. Spans across Route 123 will be built later this fall.


The first truss, located in the median of the Dulles Connector Road (Route 267) near the Route 123 intersection, continues guideway construction as it moves closer to Route 123.
Photo by Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

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