The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), which managed construction of the Silver Line, announced Thursday that Metrorail construction from Wiehle Avenue to Ashburn in eastern Loudoun County has reached substantial completion. Substantial completion means major construction is complete and allows operational readiness testing to begin. “Revenue service,” which is when people can begin riding Metro in Loudoun County, is expected to begin in the spring of 2022.
Development of the Metrorail Silver Line Extension project is a significant transportation capital improvement project for Loudoun County and the region. The Metrorail Silver Line Phase 2 project is the final 11.4 miles of the 23.1-mile Silver Line extension from East Falls Church to Washington Dulles International Airport with stops at the Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn stations. Metrorail is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The project was built two phases. Phase 1 opened in 2014 extending Metrorail service from East Falls Church to Wiehle Avenue in Reston.
Metrorail service will bring high-quality, high-capacity transit service to the Dulles Corridor. The extension of Metrorail will increase the vitality of the Dulles Corridor, reduce travel time between the Dulles Corridor and downtown Washington D.C, offer a viable alternative to vehicular traffic, and support future transit-oriented development along the corridor.
Loudoun County has been a longtime supporter of the extension of Metrorail to Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County. The county has been actively planning for the extension and it first appeared in Loudoun County’s General Plan more than 15 years ago and transit-related policies were first coordinated with the Countywide Transportation Plan in 1996.
When revenue service begins, members of the public can access three garages that will serve the two metrorail stations - one at the Loudoun Gateway station and two at the Ashburn station (North and South). The parking garages at Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn Stations have nearly 5,000 total spaces.
For more information about the Metrorail Silver Line in Loudoun County, visit loudoun.gov/silverline.
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