Photo by sally henny penny

This is the one of the very few times I can recall that Metro has actually warned passengers ahead of time about major escalator outages at some of its stations, so it certainly merits its own headline.

Here’s what the transit agency wants you to know: five station escalators are scheduled to be totally rebuilt starting this month, leaving them completely out of service for a solid 10 to 12 weeks, at a minimum. Out of service escalators are by no means a new feature of the ‘WMATA Experience,’ but we appreciate the rare heads up, and news that any of the system’s aging escalators are being permanently upgraded instead of just temporarily repaired until the next time they break is always a good thing. Details from the release:

• Gallery Place-Chinatown: Rehabilitation work will be conducted on one escalator unit between the mezzanine and station entrance levels at F and 7th streets NW, starting Jan. 7 for 10 weeks. This is the second of the four escalators at this entrance to be modernized.
• Friendship Heights: Rehabilitation work began Jan. 1 on one escalator unit between the platform and mezzanine levels and will continue for 12 weeks. This is the last of five escalators being modernized at this station.
• Bethesda: Rehabilitation work will be conducted on one escalator unit between the platform and mezzanine levels starting Jan. 13 for 10 weeks. This is the first of two platform units to be modernized at this station.
• Federal Triangle: Rehabilitation work will be conducted on one escalator unit between the mezzanine and station entrance levels starting Jan. 13 for 12 weeks. This is the second of the three intermediate level escalators being modernized at this station.
• Virginia Square: Rehabilitation work will be conducted on one escalator unit between the mezzanine and station entrance levels starting Jan. 20 for 10 weeks. This is the first of the four platform escalators to be modernized at this station.

Remember that you can also always check the status of a particular station’s escalators on Metro’s web site.