Metro welded 1,200 steel plates and grouted the entire tunnel to prevent water from getting in.

WAMU/DCist / Jordan Pascale

After an eight-month closure, the Yellow Line will finally reopen to riders on May 7, Metro announced on Tuesday.

The Yellow Line has been out of service since September due to the rehabilitation of the Potomac River tunnel and bridge, both built in the 1970s and in need of repair for water intrusion and other issues. The tunnel leaks were Metro’s biggest infrastructure priority.

“I want to thank our customers for their patience while we completed this critical work to ensure safe, reliable service for decades to come,” said General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke. “I’m also very proud and thankful to the dedicated women and men who worked to deliver this complex project on schedule and on budget.”

The $384 million rehabilitation project includes replacing expansion joints and bearings on the 3000-foot bridge, welding together 1,200 steel plates, and sealing the entire mile-long tunnel to prevent water leaks, which can spark the third rail and cause smoke and fire events. Tunnel work also included replacing miles of existing cables, light fixtures, and fire suppression systems.

Metro senior program manager Tatiana Kotrikova called it a “major transformation” that will keep the tunnel in shape for another 50 years. “It was crumbling steel, almost like sand when you touched it with your hands,” Kotrikova said of the steel liner in the tunnel. “(Now) it’s clean, it’s painted, we’ve got the utilities back on the wall.”

Riders likely won’t notice much difference on the bridge,  Kotrikova said, since most of the work happened underneath — but the tunnel will have a much better appearance, with fresh gray paint, new lighting, and hopefully no puddles of water.

WMATA officials say they will host a public train ride to show curious riders the work.

Workers spread grout on the steel-lined wall which helps prevent water from getting into the tunnel. WAMU/DCist / Jordan Pascale
The Yellow Line Bridge over the Potomac River was built in the 1970s and needed rehabilitation to extend its useful life another 30 years. WAMU/DCist / Jordan Pascale
Rubber expansion joints replacements allow the bridge to expand and contract with the weather without cracking the concrete.WAMU/DCist / Jordan Pascale

The return of the Yellow Line is welcome news for riders who have used the “Blue Line Plus,” the Green Line, and shuttles during construction. Virginia Yellow Line riders had an extra 15 minutes added to their trips into the District: They had to go up to Rosslyn and then into D.C. instead of across the Yellow Line bridge and tunnel into L’Enfant Plaza.

When the Yellow Line does reopen on May 7, it will only run from Huntington to Mt. Vernon Square instead of Greenbelt. It’s one of the less popular Metro budget decisions, but transit officials said the measure would help them serve the highest number of people in the core. Trains will run on the Yellow Line every 8 minutes during the day and every 12 minutes after 9:30 p.m. and on weekends.

The reopening of the line could help boost ridership, which has been slowly recovering since the pandemic began three years ago. Metro is nearing about 50% of its 2019 ridership thanks to more people returning to work, tourism, sports, and a busy cherry blossom season. Metro had 638,000 average weekday trips during March 2019 vs. 310,000 average weekday trips last month.

The transit system has broken several pandemic-era records in recent months.

WMATA did not have an exact opening date for the new Potomac Yard Station in Alexandria, which is still slated for May.

This story was updated with the correct cost of the project.

Filed Under: dc metro, general assignment, transportation, wmata, yellow line,