WASHINGTON 鈥� Metro鈥檚 round-the-clock track work zones focused on replacing crumbling wooden rail ties are expected to end within two months. But Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said that will not be the end of delays for riders due to major repairs.
鈥淪afeTrack does not solve all of our issues by any means. It was dealing with almost emergency-type issues. There are major capital projects that we have to do 鈥� there鈥檚 interlockings throughout the system, the 鈥� Wiedefeld said last week. 鈥淭here鈥檚 all kinds of things that we still have to do, and they will impact the service. There鈥檚 no doubt about it.鈥�
The Greenbelt station on the Green Line reopened Monday morning, and a The final scheduled work zone focused on rail ties and similar basic track safety issues will be on the Red Line in June.
Any further work zones for major construction projects would come with significant planning and advance warning, Metro has promised.
鈥淲e have major interlockings we have to look at, we have a lot of elevated structures,” Wiedefeld said. “Again, we鈥檝e been focusing primarily on the tie issues, but there are other major, major parts of this system that need to be addressed.鈥�
Those issues include
鈥淲e鈥檒l minimize [the impact] where we can, but some of these things are very complex, and they will impact us, there鈥檚 no doubt about it. And that鈥檚 not something that鈥檚 over the next year, that鈥檚 forever. That鈥檚 just as the system ages,鈥� he said.
Wiedefeld likened the needs to a highway with聽a bridge that needed to be shut down to allow for crucial repairs and replacement.
The major Metro work has over the past year, contributing to Metro鈥檚 plans to
