Silver Line Dulles WMATA Metrorail progress/pictures

"JDC"
I presume all of this warm winter weather has been very helpful in moving this project along at a fast(er) clip.

Me thinks it has more to do with the design side of the design build contractor getting all of their specification, construction drawing and estimates approved by the powers that be so the build side could actually begin moving dirt.

One must remember that most everything at the airport and point west is different then what was shown in both the final environmental statement and the preliminary engineering.

JDC wrote:I presume all of this warm winter weather has been very helpful in moving this project along at a fast(er) clip.

I am sure that it doesn't hurt. A good snowstorm can set them back by a whole week, but cold weather causes all sorts of other headaches.

I happened to be out that way yesterday. They have resumed placing girders at the airport - starting on the very east end and working west. They have crossed Aviation drive, and probably only have about a dozen girders left to install before all of the girders are in place in the vicinity of the airport terminal.

At the west end of the airport station, you can see the beginnings of the station platform on the west end.

I have been watching them assemble the Reston station out of prefabricated pieces - I get a good view of this on a daily basis. There are panels for the platform itself, there are prefabricated support posts for the mezzanine level, any panels required for escalator/elevator, the cross girder, the floor panels for the mezzanine, and a few other minor touches. They then back the crane up 20 feet or so, and repeat the process. Within a few weeks they will have finished the parts of the station where there will be a mezzanine, after which I expect things will speed up in that the platform bits can be assembled fairly quickly.

The tower cranes are still present at both Reston and Herndon. The bulletin suggested the roof will go up in April for both stations, but the tower crane seems like it would be in the way for that work.

From the traffic advisory for 02 27 2017 > 03 03 2017

Stone delivery (15-20 trucks) of ballast material at the layup yard.
Wednesday - Friday between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Trucks will travel from Chantilly, coming from VA US-50, North on Old Ox Road VA-606 to the project site.

Turnout delivery (3 trucks) for installation in the layup yard.
Monday and Wednesday between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Trucks will travel from Reading, PA, West on VA-267, South on VA-606 Old Ox Road, and will have to turn around at Mercure Circle to make the right into the job site.

Concrete delivery (7 trucks) for installation at the Service and Inspection Building (approximately 70 cubic yards).
Monday - Friday between the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Trucks will travel from the Titan batch plant along VA-606 Old Ox Road to the project site.

Concrete Ties delivery (5 trucks) for installation in the layup yard.
Monday - Friday between the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Trucks will travel from Delaware, West on VA-267, South on VA-606 Old Ox Road, and will have to turn around at Mercure Circle to make the right into the job site.

Rail delivery (4 95' Trucks including 2-4 escorts) for installation in the layup yard.
Thursday - Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Trucks will travel from Delaware, traveling West on VA-606 Old Ox Road to the project site.

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My best guess is those 4 truck will be carrying 20 78' long sticks of rail each for a total length of 6,240'.

Construction progress pictures dated 11 18 2016 from Hensel Phelps the contractor awarded the design build contract for Dulles Yard.

Public Photo Gallery of Project (8.19 MB PDF file)

WMATA: Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 03 22 2017

Construction Passes 56 Percent During Very Mild Winter

Old Man Winter has been especially kind to construction of Phase 2 of the Silver Line.


Aerial construction at the entrance into Dulles Airport captures a dynamic view of the Dulles Terminal as the American flag blows in the wind.
Photo by Jennifer Thomas Alcott, Capital Rail Constructors

Bad weather never really stopped us, according to vice president and project executive director Charles Stark who recently said construction of the main system-the track, the stations, the support infrastructure etc. has topped the 56 percent mark and construction at the huge rail yard being built on Dulles Airport property is at 46 percent.

According to a recent report on the status of construction prepared by John Kearney, the project's construction manager, plenty has been accomplished recently. For example, 223 deck spans have been poured. That's 76 percent of the total needed. All 183 of the needed pier caps have been poured.

In March, the final aerial guideway girders at Dulles International Airport were set in place near Saarinen Circle. The four 84-inch tall precast concrete girders measure nearly 140 feet long, weigh approximately 95 tons each, and will support the Silver Line Metrorail trains that will run through the airport, says Jennifer Alcott, a spokeswoman for the construction contract.

Kearney said crews continue to drill and set anchor bolts and bearings on the pier caps for girders on the aerial guideway columns, and continue to install girders at the entrance to Dulles Airport.

Also, aerial deck spans continue to be poured just west of the airport station. Straddle bents have been set over the eastbound lanes of the Dulles Greenway.


Cast-in-place concrete activities are ongoing at the Herndon Station south pavilion site.
Photo by Jennifer Thomas Alcott, Capital Rail Constructors

Soon crews will be installing pedestrian bridges at five stations to provide access to the stations.

Drainage work and track wall construction continue. Protective slabs over Fairfax County's waterline near the Reston Station are being installed.

Hand mining for utility tunnels demanded by high-density granite is wrapping up and communication lines are being relocated to make way for installation of the pedestrian bridges. Directional drilling continues beneath Horsepen Pond to provide for utility line installations.Track work continues all along the line at grade and in the air.

Station foundation work continues at the Loudoun Gateway Station and at the Ashburn Station.

At the Reston Town Center Station, precast erections and station wall work is underway. At Herndon Station, structural steel installation for the vault roof has begun along with precast detailing and grouting. Cast-in-place columns are being set, the pier for the pedestrian bridge is being built, and walls and decks are being installed at the South Pavilion.


Roof panels are welded in place at Innovation Center Station.
Photo by Jennifer Thomas Alcott, Capital Rail Constructors


At Innovation Center Station, tabletop piers will support the pedestrian bridges that will provide access between the station and the south side of the rail line.
Photo by Jennifer Thomas Alcott, Capital Rail Constructors


DCMP crews pour the leveling/erection slab in preparation for the installation of the pre-cast tubs.
Photo by Capital Rail Constructors staff

DID YOU KNOW?
The pavilion on the south side of Herndon Monroe Station will receive pedestrian bridge steel that will be assembled into the bridge sections near the TPSS#13 site. These large pieces of bridge can be seen along the south side of the Dulles Toll Road, and soon will be part of the future pedestrian bridge to Herndon Station.

Watch for Lane Shifts in Tysons Corner

Don't be surprised when you see some Dulles Rail Project construction crews working in Tysons.

Crews are doing some maintenance and warranty work at several locations and there is some need for lane closings while this work is being done.

In late March, curb realignments take place at three locations - on Tysons Boulevard and at two spots along Route 7. All three require lane closures.

Also, rail project crews and VDOT representatives, along with a team of contractors and inspectors, will clean some storm drain pipes along Route 7, using a camera to video and inspect both storm drains and underdrains.

Crews also will identify, measure and document deficiencies they may find. This work will require weekly nighttime lane closures. The first set of lane closures will be on westbound Route 7. The public will be notified in advance of this work.

VDOT and MWAA will coordinate safety and weather-related impacts on the work. Motorists are likely to see Fairfax Police Department escorts working at intersections and multiple lane closures.

Fairfax County Parking Garages: Herndon and Innovation Center
Fairfax County Department of Transportation has partnered with the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services to fund the construction of both the Herndon and Innovation Center garages. The new parking garages will feature the following amenities:

• Garage operations - Smart Trip, credit card, hours of operations similar to existing garages in the system (use of WMATA fare collection system)
• Bike racks, lockers/bike room provided at both garages
• Infrastructure provided for electric vehicle charging stations
• Innovation will have an ice-melting machine for the roof parking
• Herndon's new and existing garages will include a vehicle and pedestrian connection

Link to PDF version at Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project web site.

Dashcam footage from 3/19/17. Wiehle to Ashburn Westbound, excluding airport segment.

Dashcam Footage from 3/19/17

I drove past yesterday - a couple of things to note.

I saw a ballast tamping machine just east of the airport where the elevated section ends. In addition, I saw stacked concrete ties staged in numerous locations between Reston and the airport. There was a 2nd rail-mounted machine - it was orange in color and had a spinning brush, my guess is that it was used for grooming the ballast.

The Herndon station has most of the roof frame installed. The tower crane is still present - evidently it isn't in the way.

The mezzanine level at Reston is now complete - the heavy crane is still working on assembling the remainder of the platform.

At the airport station, the steel framework for the elevator has been installed on the platform level.

Decking is being installed east of the airport station - they started where the track first becomes elevated and are working westward, and have just about reached Aviation Drive. In the past they had been installing decking on the other side of the airport station - I am not sure, but that may be complete by now.

There are still a handful of girders to be installed on the east end of the airport station. I am not 100% sure, I *think* this is just beyond where the platform ends.

"JackRussell"
I drove past yesterday - a couple of things to note.

I saw a ballast tamping machine just east of the airport where the elevated section ends. In addition, I saw stacked concrete ties staged in numerous locations between Reston and the airport. There was a 2nd rail-mounted machine - it was orange in color and had a spinning brush, my guess is that it was used for grooming the ballast.

The Herndon station has most of the roof frame installed. The tower crane is still present - evidently it isn't in the way.

The tower cranes at all of the surface stations are located in the foot print of the barrier wall on the left shoulder of the Access Road and Greenway. Not sure if that piece of steel for the mezzanine canopy will fit next to the crane tower.

The mezzanine level at Reston is now complete - the heavy crane is still working on assembling the remainder of the platform.

At the airport station, the steel framework for the elevator has been installed on the platform level.

If it is visible on the platform it done down the pit under the mezzanine.

Decking is being installed east of the airport station - they started where the track first becomes elevated and are working westward, and have just about reached Aviation Drive. In the past they had been installing decking on the other side of the airport station - I am not sure, but that may be complete by now.

When I was out there in January track bed pouring was done to about 2/3 of the way around curve between Aviation Drive and the airport station moving east.

There are still a handful of girders to be installed on the east end of the airport station. I am not 100% sure, I *think* this is just beyond where the platform ends.

It was the same way in January.

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 02 04 2017

Things continue along at a fast pace, even faster in areas then what I would have expected at this point.

Right of way barrier construction along the Dulles Access Road is closing in on the construction access points. Jersey barriers are being installed at point between the Toll Road and Access Road where the Access Road is being realigned.

Reston Town Center has it platform slab in place. All of the cast in place concrete work to support the mezzanine is done. Precast mezzanine parapets have begun to be installed. Columns for the north entrance pedestrian bridge have begun to come up out of the ground. Escalator and elevator pits for the north entrance pavilion are mostly complete. Site clearing for the south entrance has yet to begin. Preparation are mostly complete for the pouring of the slabs at traction power substation #12 along Sunset Hill Road at the west end of the station.

Ground work for the third rail conduits at both ends on the maintenance track siding interlockings east of Herndon has been mostly complete. You can now clearly see where the maintenance track siding will be. The contractor doing the right of way barriers on both sides of the Herndon station is using two concrete slip form machines.

Herndon has the mezzanine canopy structural frame mostly complete. A hand full of pieces of steel at the west end remain to be set. The last piece of steel will be set after the tower crane is removed. All of the poured in place concrete work for the south entrance pavilion is done. Work on the column for the north entrance has begun.

Traction power substation #13 is done. All that remains to be done is the setting of the precast walls that will enclose the substation.

At traction power substation #14 east of the Innovation Center Station along Sunrise Valley Drive, the base above the ground work has yet to be brought up to elevation of the slab.

At Innovation Center the corrugated sheet medal on the mezzanine canopy appears to have had some issues as some of the panels that were in place in January are no longer there. All of the column for the south entrance pedestrian bridge are done. Foundations for the precast at the entrance pavilion have been poured. Curb and gutter work for the south entrance bus terminal has been done south of the the south entrance pavilion. Columns for the north entrance pedestrian bridges are a various stages of completion. Ground work and grading remains to be done at the north entrance.

The laying of track has begun from a point west of Innovation Center to Rudder Road at Dulles Airport on outbound track N2. The track work contractor has left a gap from the west end of the bridge over Horsepin Run to east of the interlocking west of Sulley Road. Turnout ties, parts for the turnouts and the double crossover diamond frogs have been delivered to the site of the interlocking. The preliminary engineering drawing showed a pair of crossovers in this interlocking. The layout of the third rail conduits and the presents of the diamond frogs is an obvious indication that a double crossover will be installed there. The adjacent traction power substation #15 is awaiting the the setting of the precast walls that will enclose the substation.

All of the girders from the east abutment to the east end of the Dulles Airport station have been set. Deck pouring operations are going east to west from the abutment and has begun.

Structural work to enclose the pedestrian tunnel at the Dulles Airport station entrance is well under way. A heavy duty steel girder has been installed above the opening of the pedestrian tunnel on the garage side of the station entrance. The girder is on the same line of the of the north side of the open cut wall of the mezzanine. There will be mezzanine level ancillary areas behind that wall. Three of the four mezzanine to platform elevator shaft frames are in place, the fourth one is roughly one quarter done. A frame to support the east bank of the mezzanine to platform escalators has been set, a similar frame for the upper west bank has also been set. Girder for five of the of the track bed spans remain to be set at the east end of the station, two spans on track N1 and three on track N2. Girder for the remaining two platform spans at the east end of the station remain to be set. Precast platform slabs have been set on all but one of the girders. Track bed deck slabs have been completed on the elevated west of the station along with the setting of the parapets.

Welded rail has been staged on the elevated along Airfreight Lane. I think we can safely assume track has been laid on the elevated along Autopilot Drive as most of the track fastener staged under the elevated are gone. Ground work for traction power tiebreaker station #7 under the elevated adjacent to the entrance of Avis Rent A Car return is mostly complete. Ground work at traction power substation #17 north of Autopilot Drive and Windshear Road is also mostly complete.

On the Dulles Greenway where the mainline flies over the eastbound lanes the straddle bents are done. The forms for the barring points on straddle bent 6 have been poured, forms for the barring points on straddle bent 5 appear to have not been poured. Girders have been set on the span east of the west abutment, the two other, west of the straddle bent spans have not been set. Deck slab is being poured on the west yard lead fly over of the eastbound Dulles Greenway. Rebar has been placed for the retaining walls west of the mainline west abutment. The first segment of the retaining walls west of the west yard lead abutment has been completed. Expect a roller coaster ride from where the mainline flies over the Dulles Greenway to just south of Old Ox Road as the west Yard lead junction will be on a grade several feet above the elevation of the road surface. Roughly one third of the length of the retaining wall in the area has been completed. The vertical realignment of the mainline will descend west after flying over the eastbound Dulles Greenway, pass under the west yard lead then ascend to a vertical curve east of the west yard lead junction then descend to pass under Old Ox Road. I believe the reason for doing this was the place the west yard lead junction as close to traction power substation #18 and keep the yard lead grades to a minimum.

The frame of the shop building in Dulles Yard is mostly complete. Slabs have been poured on the the upper floors and roof. Much of the ground work for the third rail conduits has been done. Trackwork has begun on parts of the storage yard ladder and the leads between the storage yard and shop building. Because of the low viewing angle it is not easy to determine the progress on all of the facilities being built in the yard.

Grading for the new alignment of the eastbound lanes of Old Ox Road adjacent to the storage tracks in Dulles yard has begun. The contractor has established a staging area up stream of the existing crossing of Old Ox Road over Horsepen Run in preparation for the shifting of the lanes from the existing alignment to the new west bound bridge to allow the construction of the eastbound bridge.

The barrier walls along the full length of the Loudoun Gateway station are done along with the invert slab under the platform. Roughly one fifth of the precast platform slabs have been set. Ground is being cleared on the south side at eastbound exit 8A of the Dulles Greenway for traction power tiebreaker station #11 adjacent to the interlocking west of the Loudoun Gateway station.

Ground work at traction power substation #19 is mostly done. Trenching of the 35 KV AC power buss is under way between Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn.

Out in Ashburn things are progressing more evenly. The barrier walls at the mezzanine end of the station have begun to come up out of the ground. At the same time the foundations for both the north and south entrance pavilion are being built along with one of the columns for the south entrance pedestrian bridge. The bus roadway that runs parallel to the Dulles Greenway for the south entrance has had the first lifts of asphalt laid alone with the curbs and gutters on the Dulles Greenway side.

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Pictures at plus.google.com 04 02 2017
This and previous posts in this series can be seen at cambronj.blogspot.com.

Great update John. As a novice, I find it so much more helpful now that things are beginning to 'take shape' and there is some meat on the bones of the stations/structures.

JDC wrote:Great update John. As a novice, I find it so much more helpful now that things are beginning to 'take shape' and there is some meat on the bones of the stations/structures.

My only regret is that the thing isn't open right now. Yesterday I took the Chicago Blue Line to O'Hare, and other than screwy Google directions to get to the nearest station, it was all pretty straightforward.

"JDC"
Great update John. As a novice, I find it so much more helpful now that things are beginning to 'take shape' and there is some meat on the bones of the stations/structures.

I have been observing the build out Metrorail for a couple years short of a half century now. With that much observation time under my belt, I pretty much know what I am looking at before it is anywhere near being complete.

"JackRussell"

My only regret is that the thing isn't open right now. Yesterday I took the Chicago Blue Line to O'Hare, and other than screwy Google directions to get to the nearest station, it was all pretty straightforward.

When I lived in DC back in the 1980s. It was easier to attend a Cap or Bullets game at Madison Square Garden then it was to attend them at the Capitol Center.

Dashcam video:

DCMP Wiehle Avenue, Reston - west to Saarinen Circle 04 02 2017

Westbound Dulles Access Road dash camera view of the construction on Phase II of the Silver line form Wiehle Avenue in Reston to Saarinen Circle in front of Garage One at Dulles Airport.

No sound, 1280 X 720, 16:9.

Sand Box John wrote:Dashcam video:

DCMP Wiehle Avenue, Reston - west to Saarinen Circle 04 02 2017

Westbound Dulles Access Road dash camera view of the construction on Phase II of the Silver line form Wiehle Avenue in Reston to Saarinen Circle in front of Garage One at Dulles Airport.

No sound, 1280 X 720, 16:9.

Wow, it looks dramatically different at Dulles now. I have not been there in 6 months, though. Which is a good thing, because the roads look terrible.

Any chance Phase II will be completed ahead of schedule because of the warm winter?