Photo by Adam Fagen

It seems that Metro is finally making due on plans to bring reliable cell phone coverage to its underground tunnel system. Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld announced today that the transit agency will install radio cable along 100 miles of tunnel walls throughout the rail system.

The approximate length of the cables equates to the distance between D.C. and New York City, according to a release.

The start of this major capital improvement dates back to 2008, when Metro signed a contract for Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile to wire the tunnels themselves. However, the contract was delayed due to a myriad of problems, mostly safety concerns and logistical problems.

The push to get the project completed comes after the fatal January 12, 2015 smoke incident—in which many passengers were stranded in smoke-filled trains with no cell reception to call for help—and the subsequent pressure from Congress and the Federal Transit Administration to enhance its safety measures.

In the new deal, Metro itself will wire the transit system. And the agency says that the installation will not only result in improved wireless technology coverage for passengers, it will vastly improve radio coverage for Metro and the region’s first responders.

Engineering and production tests are currently underway in a 6,000 foot tunnel segment between Glenmont and Forest Glen stations. As to not add more delays for Metro riders, the installation work is scheduled in coordination with other capital projects at night and on the weekends.

“We are looking for every opportunity to move this project along efficiently and to deliver incremental benefits as we complete each segment and turn it over to the telecom providers,” Wiedefeld said.

The underground portion of the work is estimated at $120 million, and will be funded through Metro’s capital improvement program, according to Metro.

It’s not exactly the District-wide free wi-fi that Ted Leonsis is calling for, but it’s a start.