New Potomac Yard Metro station to open May 19, officials say
https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2023/04/19/alexandria-potomac-yard-metro-station/
The station will be the 98th in the Metrorail system, coming months after the Silver Line extension added six stations
A new Metro station that civic and business leaders say they are counting on as the economic centerpiece for Alexandrias future will open May 19, officials announced Wednesday, after nearly a year of delays caused by permitting, labor and supply issues.
The opening will be the latest growth indicator for a transit system that has expanded its regional footprint and ridership levels in recent months while emerging from the pandemic and a train shortage. The station is also a key component of Alexandrias efforts to remake the 295-acre former railroad yard site into a bustling urban center.
The stations initial planned opening date of April 2022 was pushed to the summer. In July, Metro announced the stations automatic train control system needed to be redesigned after it didnt meet requirements. Than a planned fall opening was postponed after crews ran into problems with soil and other issues.
Much of the delay originated from an assortment of issues that emerged from the pandemic, including a labor shortage that also affected construction work and supply chain issues, said Andy Off, Metros chief infrastructure officer. The project also had a more complex permitting process than other stations, having to conform to the likings of the National Park Service, freight railroad CSX and a special architectural review because it lies in a historic district.