I only thought racism this bad only occured in the south

Umm, this *is* the south. Welcome!

Took a new set of photos yesterday. It's been about six months since the last update, and there's been major progress since then.

I've tried to take pics at the exact same locations, and I've put links to the older pics in parentheses so you can see the comparison over the past year.

This first pic is the Route 123 at the Toll Road. (Aug 2010, Jan 2011)
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Second pic is the future home of the "Tysons East" station. (Aug 2010, Jan 2011)
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Interesting new bridge, I think it will connect the HOT lanes to the Westpark bridge into Tysons.

(Aug 2010, Aug 2010, Jan 2011)
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Tysons Central 123

(Aug 2010, Oct 2010, Jan 2011)
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Metro snakes it's way from the Toll Road to 123.

(Oct 2010, Jan 2011)
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Tracks over the Westpark Bridge

(Jan 2011)
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Route 7, near the Tysons Central 7 station

(Aug 2010)
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Thanks for continuing to post these. Interesting to see the progress from different areas.

Although interesting, these images sadly show what a mess Tyson's has become. I stay away from the area at all costs. I live in Fairfax so Metro stops in Tyson's will not benefit me in traveling to the area unless it actually cuts down on traffic. With plans to follow up the Metro stops with more commercial and residential construction, I am very curious to see how this area will look in 5 - 10 years.

The best part about the beltway is that if you miss your exit, you can just keep going and take it the next time around.

Great pictures, TheMeeper!

The worse part though is that some of the cars are the same because traffic is just that fucked.

Tysons area inner loop, about 10 days ago.

Fairfaxunderground rules: Lilliputions, not ok. Midgettville ok. I got it now.
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TheMeeper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think the line to Dulles was indeed a necessity.
> It's stupid to have a huge international airport
> not connected to the local rail system.
>
> As far as it bringing thugs and MS-13 into Tysons,
> I doubt it. Nice places like Ballston or
> Clarendon have metro stations, and you don't see
> that type of crowd hanging out around there. Do
> you really think gangstas will be attracted to
> stuff like Saks Fifth Avenue or Crate & Barrel in
> Tysons?
>
> "Yo fuck LL Bean, I be going to Lord & Taylor's,
> beeyotch! PF Chang in da house!"


ROFL!

TheMeeper's photos kick the shit out of Radiophile's!

Hey I found an amazing source for construction pictures. The guy's name is John R Cambron and I think he must work for WMATA or something. These pictures ate up half my day at work going through them...AWESOME!

Picasa site: http://picasaweb.google.com/cambronjr/
Homepage: http://mysite.verizon.net/cambronj/

Here's a taste of the cut-and-cover tunnels and the new track merge:
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Zak

Hey I found an amazing source for construction pictures. The guy's name is John R Cambron and I think he must work for WMATA or something. These pictures ate up half my day at work going through them...AWESOME!

Picasa site: http://picasaweb.google.com/cambronjr/
Homepage: http://mysite.verizon.net/cambronj/

Here's a taste of the cut-and-cover tunnels and the new track merge:

I found this site doing a search of my name at google.com/images.

I do not work for WMATA, though I did work with the late Cody Pfanstiehl as unpaid volunteer conducting tours of various metrorail construction sites prior to the opening of the first segment on 03 27 1976.

Forget about the http://mysite.verizon.net/cambronj/ pages as Verizon no longer allows subscribes to use FTP to post pages the their personal web sites. Go to cambronj.blogspot.com to see my most reasent pictures. DCMP 10 15 2011, DCMP 04 15 2012.

Some aerial photographs shot by Trevor Wrayton at VDOT on 04 11 2012. Lifted from VDOT Flicker Photostream. These pictures were taken 4 day before the pictures I took on 04 15 2012.


Tysons Central 7 (Greensboro) station.


Leesburg Pike VA-7 Dulles Toll Road VA-267 interchange.


Dulles Connector Road VA-267 and Dolley Madison Boulevard VA-123.


Dolley Madison Boulevard VA-123 Tysons East (McLean) station.


Tysons Central 7 (Greensboro) Station.


Tysons Central 123 (Tysons Corner) Station.


Tysons Central 123 (Tysons Corner) station.


Leesburg Pike VA-7.


Tysons Central 123 (Tysons Corner) station, Capitol Beltway crossing.


VA I-66 flyover.


Capitol Beltway crossing and Express Lanes.


Tysons Central 123 (Tysons Corner) station, Capitol Beltway crossing.

John in the sand box of Maryland's eastern shore.

Gave me all-over goose bumps and an elevated heart rate looking at those photos. Now I need a cigarette. Thanks for sharing, John!

My latest batch of Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project pictures:

DCMP 06 23 2012

117 total, Junction to tail track.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2012 08:32AM by Sand Box John.

From VDoT flicker photo stream Aerials in NOVA June-26-2012
Pictures taken the day after the pictures I took on 06 23 2012.
All pictures by Trevor Wrayton


Greensboro


Greensboro


Greensboro


Greensboro


VA-7 Leesburg Pike and VA-267 Dulles Access / Toll roads


VA-123 Dolley Madison Boulevard


Spring Hill

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 02 10 2013

The feeler car has made two passes over the branch, the first being during the first full week in December of 2012, the second pass was made during the first full week of February of 2013. It was parked on inbound track N1 west of the Haycock Road overpass when I was out there on 04 10 2013.

The third rail was energized for the first time from the junction to the east abutment at Old Chain Bridge Road the end of December of 2012. The cables connecting the traction power substation to the third rail in the interlocking west of the Spring Hill station have not been fully installed. Everything to the east appears to be done. The cables connecting the Wolf Trap traction power substation to the third rail are in place however the ground return cables have not been connected to the running rail return bond. Something else that I noticed that is different. There are 6 feeder cables connecting the substations to the third rail with 2 spare conduits. The setup in the existing system is 5 feeder cables and 2 spare conduits. Everything to the west appears to be done. It appears that Virginia Power has installed 2 new power line through Tysons Corner for exclusive use by WMATA. I noticed several manhole covers in the eastbound traffic lanes of Leesburg Pike VA-7 that have M Metro logos and an electric label on them. The manhole covers are the same diameter as WMATA's traction power manhole covers and Virginia Power's manhole covers.

Track has been laid from the Falls Church Yard lead junction to west of the tunnel portal.

Ground work for the second shop building in Falls Church yard is still underway as is the ground work for the box to be built around the loop.

The emergency trip station are online from the junction to the Anderson Road interlocking and from just west of Beulah Road to tail tracks west of the Wiehle-Reston East station. The electricians are still pulling cables and installing track side devices along the right of way between Beulah Road and the Tysons Corner station. Still don't know what the orange light on the boxes adjacent to emergency trip station are for.

All of the pedestrian bridge spans at all five stations over traffic lanes have been set. Only two spans remain to be set, the short span between the column and the entrance pavilion on the south side of Chain Bridge Road VA-123 at the Tysons Corner station. The other is the northern most span at the Wiehle-Reston East station that will connect the station to the Reston Station development that is still under construction.

All of the structural work for the platform and mezzanine canopies are done. The weather proofing sheet metal is still being installed at the Tysons Corner station.

All of the structural work for the entrance pavilion is done, escalators and elevator installation is well under way and in some places is complete. The structural work for the entrance pavilion canopies are at various stages of completion depending on location. McLean being the most complete Spring Hill road being the least complete. At this point it is hard to tell how the entrance pavilions will be secured when the system is closed at night.

The Kiss and Ride lot at the McLean station has curbs and gutters and has been paved, the final lift of asphalt and the sidewalks is all that remains to be done. The bus bays directly in the front of the station are partially compete. Platform pavers have been delivered to the McLean, For those interested in procuring some for you patio I took a picture of the shipping label with the manufactures name on it (see below).

Tracks 17 and 18 in Greenbelt yard have been removed to make room for the Commissioning Facility shop building. Work is under way on the grade crossing south of the Greenbelt station the contractor will use to access the test track right of way. Grading for the test has has not begun.

Captioned thumb nails along with the above and past essays can be view at cambronj.blogspot.com DCMP 02 10 2013

Pictures with captions can be viewed at picasaweb.google.com/cambronjr DCMP 02 10 2013 and Greenbelt Commissioning Facility.

Cool! Can't wait for Phase 2 to Dulles and SR 772/Ashburn!

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 04 07 2013

Third rail over the entire length of the branch has now been energized. The second segment was energized from the west end to Hunter Mill Road on 02 25 2013, the next segment from the east was energized from Old Chain Bridge Road to east end of the Greensboro station on 03 21 2013, the next segment this time from the west was energized from Hunter Mill Road to Trap Road on 03 29 2013, the last segment between Trap Road and the Greensboro station was energized 04 05 2013.

The first train to operate under third rail power began "Dynamic Testing" in the area of the junction on 02 27 2013. Dynamic Testing is now being done along the Dulles Access road west of VA-7 Leesburg Pike.

The restoration and seeding for the grass in the median of VA I-66 and VA-267 Dulles Connector Road is mostly complete.

The yard lead is now connected to track 20 in Falls Church Yard. The ties (concrete) and rail for the new storage tracks along with the tracks leading to the second shop building have been laid. The ballast tamper hasn’t been run over the new yard tracks yet. Third rail is at various stages of installation along the storage tracks.

The shop building has a ways to go, it has proceeded only as far as having basement / foundation walls done.

The structural work on the entrance pavilions at all of the stations is done, the sheet metal roofing on the entrance pavilions are at various stages of completion.

The finishing of the platforms are at various stages of completion. Pavers have been installed at the McLean, Tysons Corner and Wiehle-Reston East stations, the mud job for the pavers at the Greensboro is done.

The 2 vehicle bus bay along with most of the curb gutter and sidewalk work in front of the McLean station is done.

The realignment of eastbound VA-7 Leesburg Pike west of the Greensboro station entrance has been done. Preparation for the realignment of eastbound VA-7 Leesburg Pike adjacent to the Spring Hill station are at early stages of completion.

Bus bays are being installed on the shoulder of the eastbound off ramp from VA-267 Dulles Toll Road to Wiehle Avenue adjacent to the Wiehle-Reston East south entrance pavilion.

###

Captioned thumb nails along with the above and past essays can be view at cambronj.blogspot.com DCMP 04 07 2013.

Pictures with captions can be viewed at picasaweb.google.com/cambronjr DCMP 04 07 2013.

Join us! "IT AIN'T OVER UNTIL ITS UNDER!"

Missed posting my vist to Tysons Corner in June so here wes go.

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 06 22 2013

Testing continues along the branch. Finishing work on the stations is well underway. Restoration of the road surfaces of Leesburg Pike, Dolly Madison Boulevard and Chain Bridge Road is nearly done. Wide concrete sidewalks with tree planter boxes are being put in along the Leesburg Pike from Chain Bridge Road to Tyco Road.

The station entrance pavilion are mostly cosmetically complete. Most of what remains to be done around entrances is finishing the aprons outside the entrances and connecting them to the sidewalks along Leesburg Pike and Chain Bridge Road. The south entrance pavilion at the McLean station is for all practical purposes is done.

The granite stair treads in most of the entrance pavilion have been installed or were in the process of being installed. Lighting outside some of the entrance pavilion has been installed.

The McLean station is essentially done, I even noted the emergency exit signs at the ends of the platform.

The work in surface entrance under the platform at the Tysons Corner station is a long way from done, it is mostly being used as a staging area for materials and equipment for work being done in the rest of the station. Retaining walls are being installed in the area surrounding the south entrance pavilion at the station. The surface finishing of these retaining wall is the only Architectural feature at the new stations that has been carried over from existing stations in the system.

The mud job in preparation for the floor finishing pavers was being done on the south entrance pedestrian bridge at the Greensboro station. Grading was being done outside of the escalator entrance at the north entrance pavilion in preparation for the apron.

At the Spring Hill station the granite stair treads were being installed in the north entrance pavilion. The area outside the north entrance pavilion is being used as a staging area for materials and equipment for work being done in the rest of the station, to a lesser extent the same is happening at the south entrance pavilion.

Wiehle-Reston East is mostly done. Finishing work was being done in the area of the south entrance pavilion, Reston Station Metro Comstock Partners property south of the station has begun work to ready their project accessible to the north pedestrian bridge.

I took some before pictures along phase II of the project. The selection of pictures posted will likely change after construction begins as things may not be in the field of view of the posted shot (took more then 4 times as many picture then what is posted). The pictures from west of the Wiehle-Reston East station to Dulles Airport were taken from the shoulder of the westbound Dulles Access Road and from most of the overpass over the Dulles Access Road. The pictures on the Dulles Airport property were taken from the shoulder of the westbound Dulles Access Road, Saarinnen Circle, Copilot Way, top deck of parking garage 1, Cargo Drive and Aviation Drive. The pictures north of Dulles Airport were taken from the overpasses of the Dulles Greenway.

###

Captioned thumb nails along with the above and past essays can be view at cambronj.blogspot.com DCMP 06 22 2013.

Pictures with captions can be viewed at picasaweb.google.com/cambronjr DCMP 06 22 2013.

Here is my latest visit to Tysons Corner.

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 09 15 2013

Testing continues along the branch. Finishing work on the stations is for all intensive purposes done. There is a number of punch lists items that I noticed that need to be done that will not have any effect on the opening of the line. Such as connecting the entrance pavilion downspouts to the drain pipes.

The train control room that controls the movement of trains through the junction interlocking is now on line. The rest of the signals along the branch still have bags over them.

The sound box over the yard lead and turning loop in Falls Church Yard is structurally complete. The steel frame will support steel studs that will have an exterior sheathing of water proof 5/8” gypsum board. The gypsum board is receiving a skim coat of mustard colored exterior plaster. Not sure of how the box will be finished on the interior, hope some kind finish is installed as there are a lot of surfaces inside of the box that dust and dirt can accumulate on.

The shop annex is structurally complete and has received its finish sheathing, glazing still need to be installed in the window openings.

All of the entrance pavilions are done, some have the station names over the entrance openings. The entrance pylon frames have been installed at all of the entrance pavilions, the bronze has been hung on pylon frame at the south entrance pavilion at Weihle-Reston East. Lighting around the entrance pavilions has also been installed. Bike racks, benches and bus shelters have also been installed at some locations.

Interesting lighting feature in the area of the elevator entrances in the entrance pavilions. There are lights in the floor that wash upwards flanking the elevator doors. They appear to have halogen blubs in them. The public address system in the stations is online as I could here system wide announcements being made as I was photographing close ups of the entrance pavilions.

The north end of the pedestrian bridge at the Weihle-Reston East station is a little interesting. It just ends at corner of the plaza of the Comstock Partners Reston Station property. No sloping canopy like at the bottom of the escalators at the entrance pavilions. There also is no entrance pylon marking it purpose. Adjacent to the end of the pedestrian bridge is a set of stairs that descend to the loading dock access road to the building that have not been built yet. Not sure why it is there, best guess is it there to allow access to the north side of the station from the location where the fire trucks would connect fire hoses from the fire hydrant to the dry standpipe. The middle of the plaza has an entrance with escalators and elevators that lead down to the underground parking garage and kiss and ride. Failed to descend the escalator to see what things look like on the level below the plaza. The garage will be accessible from Reston Station Boulevard.

Restoration of the road surfaces along Dolly Madison Boulevard and Chain Bridge Road is done. Only a few segment of Leesburg Pike remain to be done. The intersection that allowed traffic to turn left onto Leesburg Pike from southbound Chain Bridge Road will be restored.

Test track and Commissioning Facility

Work has commenced on the test track. Ground work in the area of the crossover began the end of June. The parts for the crossover were delivered to the staging area in early June. Some of the cross ties and the basses for the signal masts were delivered in July and August. No grading has been done beyond the area of the crossover. The frame for the commissioning facility shop building was topped out in late July. The turnout on track E2 for the crossover that will connect to test track was installed in early September. The footing for the parking structure that will increase the parking capacity in Greenbelt Yard and replace the spaces lost to the footprint of the commissioning facility shop building is mostly done.

###

Pictures at picasaweb.google.com/cambronj DCMP 09 15 1013
Pictures at picasaweb.google.com/cambronj Greenbelt Commissioning Facility
Captioned thumb nails along with the above and past essays can be view at cambronj.blogspot.com DCMP 09 15 2013



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/2013 10:00PM by Sand Box John.

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 11 22 2013

Testing Continues on the Road to Completion

A View From Above: Virginia Department of Transportation Photographer Trevor Wrayton captured this view of the McLean Station and the aerial guideway along Route 123 near the Dulles Connector Road/Toll Road. Capital One is at the lower right. The ball fields are on the grounds of Capital One.

WMATA to Set Opening Date for Silver Line

As winter approaches, crews are putting the finishing touches on construction of Phase 1 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. Landscaping has been put in place along much of the guideway in the middle of Route 7 and on the sides of Route 123.

Sidewalks are in place and heavy equipment used to build the rail system and realign Route 7 have disappeared.

New traffic signals are in place along the new alignment of Route 7.

Pedestrian bridges and pavilions provide future customers with safe crossings of Routes 7, 123 and 267 (Dulles Toll Road).

Signage displaying the familiar Metro 'M' identify the four stops in Tysons Corner - McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro and Spring Hill - and the Wiehle-Reston East Station.

Fare card machines and turnstyles are functioning and just about everything is being tested, specifically the elevators and escalators.

Bathrooms for passengers have been installed and bicycle racks are in place. At the Wiehle-Reston East Station, bicycle parking is in the below-grade parking garage and is a locked facility.

Fairfax County and Comstock LLC have worked together in a joint venture to provide underground parking for rail users at the Wiehle Station. In Tysons Corner, there are Kiss and Ride lots at two stations- McLean and Spring Hill.

A private developer, in cooperation with the county, is now building a commuter parking lot close to the McLean Station on the site of the old Mitre buildings on Route 123. The landowner will operate that lot in cooperation with Fairfax County until the site is eventually redeveloped.

There is ample work to be done, including lots of testing, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Project Executive Director Pat Nowakowski.

The Airports Authority, its design-build contractor Dulles Transit Partners, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), the agency that soon will take over the rail project, known as the Silver Line, are working together to complete testing.

When the multiple tests are completed, The Authority will transfer the project to WMATA where it will become part of D.C.'s regional transit system.

An opening date has not been set.


Lighting Up Tysons: Headlights from early evening traffic mix with the lights at the pedestrian bridge and entry pavilion for the Tysons Corner Station at Route 123 and Tysons Boulevard.
Photo by Chuck Samuelson, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project


Steping Up: The steps at the parking facility at Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail Station.
Photo by David Madison Photography


Dynamic Testing: Throughout the Phase 1 alignment, testing of the Automatic Train Control continues.
Photo by Stephen Barna, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project


Almost Ready For Customers: Fare card machines are in place at the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail Station.
Photo by Chuck Samuelson, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Geotech Testing Taking Place For Phase 2

As Phase 1 nears completion, geotechnical testing for Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project is well underway all along the 11.4-mile alignment.

Test crews can be seen on the Dulles Access Highway and Toll Road, the Greenway, and on secondary roads in both Loudoun and Fairfax Counties. Some testing is taking place in the Reston/Herndon area also.

Geotechnical testing provides information on the physical properties of soil and rock that engineers will use as they work through the final design of Phase 2 of the Silver Line.

The testing consists of drilling small diameter holes (about 8 inches). If utilities are located nearby, the first few feet of the boring will be removed by a vacuum excavator that suctions rock and soil at a minimal risk of damage. Once utilities have been cleared, a small drill rig is brought in to extract soil samples at depths of two to 30 feet. When the testing is complete, the holes are backfilled and the surfaces are patched in kind.

More than 1,300 geotechnical test borings will be drilled during Phase 2. To date, approximately 600 have been completed.

While some of the work may appear to be a few blocks from the actual future stations, this testing is needed to prepare for future traffic mitigation efforts near future stations and parking garages.


Along The Greenway In Louduon: Capital Rail Constructors crews perform geotech work for future Phase 2 rail construction near Broad Run.
Photo by Scott Evans, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project


AT DULLES AIRPORT: Capital Rail Constructors' crews continue soil borings at Dulles Airport.
Photo by Leslie Pereira, Capital Rail Constructors

Want To Know More?

Are you looking for detailed information on the rail project? What is happening now in Tysons Corner and Reston? Or what is planned for Phase 2?

To set up a briefing for your homeowners association, civic group, professional or business group, or business, please email outreach @ dullesmetro.com or call (703) 572-0696 or (703) 572-0506.

For general project information, visit www.dullesmetro.com.

###

Link to PDF version on the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Project web site.

John in the sand box of Maryland's eastern shore.

Things have been dorment here for almost a year and a half, so I thought I should through this at you.

Destination Codes Revision 6
Before Silver line.

Destination Codes Revision 7
After Silver line.

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 01 19 2014

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 06 01 2014

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 07 26 2014
Phase I Silver Line Opening Day

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 10 13 2014

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 01 10 2015

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 03 28 2015

Should have another post on the progress of Phase II by the end of May.

Thanks for the update SandboxJohn. I've been following your Picasa albums, too. Your unique access to the Metro construction sites allows for some awesome photos. I especially love the underground/tunnel related images!

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, Pictures 03 28 2015

Preparation work has begun on the abutments for the bridge over Centreville Road.

Grading work has begun in the area of the Innovation station and extends to the east elevated abutment north of Aviation Drive.

The Steel for bridge over Horsepen Run was installed on 04 10 2015.

The first segments of the right of way barriers, westbound side, has been installed east of the Rudder Road overpass over the Dulles Access Road.

Work continues on the installation of the 34.5 KV power feed bus that runs the full length of the route. Most is happening between the Herndon and Innovation stations. I will also noticed they are also installing the feed from the Virginia Power Dulles Airport substation along VA-28 Sulley Road between the Toll Road and Frying Pan Road.

Staging has begun for the construction of the columns west of the Dulles Airport station.

The first precast girders for the elevated were set on the columns along Air Fright Lane on 04 21 2015. Two spans have been set.

The Column in the median of Autopilot Drive north of Rudder Road has been installed. The column cap has been partly completed.

All of the columns north to the east Dulles Yard lead junction are done. Two straddle bents columns that will support the mainline elevated over the eastbound Dulles Greenway off the shoulder have been installed.

The columns for both the east and west Dulles Yard leads are in various stages of completion.

Preparation for the relocation of the eastbound Dulles Greenway to accommodate the west Dulles Yard lead junction in the median is underway. The shoulder pavement has been milled off and grading is being done.

Nothing is being done along the Dulles Greenway west of VA-606 Old Ox Road. The preparation for the bridge over Broad Run remain unchanged.

Test track and Commissioning Facility

Track has been laid along the entire length of the right of way with the exception of the area in the vicinity of the contractor access south of Greenbelt Road.

Third rail segments have been delivered and are staged at various locations along the right of way.

I am assuming the crossover that access the test track along with the signal bases have been installed as those parts are no longer in the staging area in the south Kiss and Ride lot at the Greenbelt station.

Pictures at picasaweb.google.com/cambronj DCMP 06 07 1015.
Pictures at picasaweb.google.com/cambronj Greenbelt Test Track and Commissioning Facility.
Captioned thumb nails along with the above and past essays can be view at cambronj.blogspot.com DCMP 06 07 2015.

oh did all of that go flawlessly ?

or were lots of the planning stolen and there were engineering mistakes, illegals used for labor, and project costs far exceeding the bid ?

Hmmmm? what was that about your project success please ??

Oh, and I really like the fact that my commute from Mclean to Chantilly has almost doubled because of the fucking lights and crosswalks that are in Tysons. Really f'ing great for 50 cars to have to wait while 1 person walks across 123 to get to the metro.

There's always the assholes to be heard from.

LOL... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There's always the assholes to be heard from.


Yes. Thanks for participating.

WMATA: Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 08 05 2015

Design Changes Enhancing Safety and Reliability, Cause Phase 2 Delays

More than 150 modifications to the design for Phase 2 as well as weather and construction delays have added about 13 months to the estimated construction period for Phase 2 of the Silver Line. Many of those changes reflect design changes that were made in the final months of construction of Phase 1 and are now being integrated in the Phase 2 design. These changes will enhance safety and reliability.

"Over 100 design changes require additional design, engineering, construction, management and oversight work," said Charles Stark, executive director of the Silver Line project. "The added costs remain within the Phase 2 contingency budget of $550 million and will have no effect on the toll rates on the Dulles Toll Road," Stark said in late April.
Excavation for Phase 2 Stations, Substations To Remove Thousands of Cubic Yards of Dirt and Rock

Excavation for Phase 2 Stations, Substations To Remove Thousands of Cubic Yards of Dirt and Rock


Photo Capital Rail Constructors

The Silver Line Phase 2 design-build contractor is about to begin construction of the future Dulles Airport Station, one of six stations along Phase 2 of the Silver Line and located just south of Daily Garage 1 along Saarinen Circle.

The process will begin with mass excavation, a term used to describe the process of quickly removing large
amounts of material from a job site.

During a mass excavation process, large bulldozers, excavators, loaders and tandem dump trucks are used to dig out, load and take away dirt and rock at a rapid and efficient pace. At peak operation, as many as 15 dump trucks per hour may be moving into and out of the Dulles Airport Station job site.

Approximately 28,000 cubic yards of rock and 12,000 cubic yards of dirt will be removed from the Dulles Airport Station site during the excavation. Trucking routes will be carefully defined to minimize the impact on airport traffic.

The five Phase 2 at-grade stations will require an average of 13,000 cubic yards of mass excavation. Additional mass excavation operations will occur at some of the wayside facilities that support the rail system.

Some of the materials removed will be used as fill at other Phase 2 construction locations at Dulles International Airport.

Tower Crane Goes Up For Innovation Station

With temperatures near 90 degrees, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project crews spent a July weekend assembling a tower crane in the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway, on the site of the Silver Line's future Innovation Center Station.

The crane tower (mast) rises approximately 187 feet and is outfitted with a 252-foot horizontal working arm (jib) able to lift 22,000 pounds of steel, concrete, large tools, generators and a wide variety of other building materials that will be used during the construction of the station. The crane's motors and counter weights are located in the shorter horizontal counter jib.

A second tower crane will be placed at the Herndon Station site in late 2015. Once the first crane has completed its work at Innovation Center Station it will be disassembled and moved onto the Reston Town Center Station site. Both cranes will be moved to the median of the Dulles Greenway to assist in the construction of the Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn Stations.


Photo Capital Rail Constructors

In Search of the Long-Eared Bat


Photo Northern Long-Eared Bat photo courtesy of Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc.

Contractors building the rail yard, located on Dulles Airport property off Route 606 in Loudoun County, for Phase 2 are at the forefront of national efforts to save the Northern Long-Eared Bat, a recent addition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) list of endangered species.

In mid-July the project undertook a week-long survey over seven nights from dusk to late night using nets to catch the bats which were identified for species and set free.

The creature is distinguished by its small size, large ears, and dark brown color and feasts on insects. These bats, whose population dropped 99 percent since 2006, are threatened by white-nose syndrome, a fungus that infects the environments where the bats hibernate.

The disease has killed more than 5.7 million bats in eastern North America, according to the FWS.

Construction sites in this region now must be surveyed to see if the Long-Eared Bats are roosting and raising their young before any work starts from mid-April through mid-September. "We are doing everything environmentally friendly that we can," said Stephen Barna, Package B project director.
The nightly vigils produced lots of bats but not a single Northern Long-Eared Bat which means construction work won't be delayed until mid-September.

But it's not so good for the little bats. "I think the fact that we have not found any Northern Long-Eared bats shows the extent of the demise," said John Nerich, lead construction specialist for the rail yard.


Bat captured on airport property
Photo Angela Cook

Silver Line Hailed at First Birthday Party


MWAA CEO Jack Potter and elected officials at Silver Line Anniversary

The Silver Line opened a year ago and business leaders, politicians and residents gathered in late July to celebrate as a long list of project proponents praised what many called the dramatic changes that continue to come to Tysons Corner and the entire Dulles Corridor because of the Silver Line.

Currently there are 20 plans for new mixed-use developments in Tysons. Experts said Tysons now
contributes more than $300 million to the Fairfax County tax base, a number that is expected to eventually hit $1 billion.

Wells + Associates reported on statistics that shows significant decreases in vehicular traffic in the Tysons area since the Silver Line opened:

• 15 percent fewer cars at Scotts Crossing/Colshire Drive.
• 11 percent fewer cars at Anderson Road/Dulles Access Highway off-ramp.
• 7 percent fewer cars at Route 123 at Old Meadow Road/Capital One Drive.

Wiehle-Reston East Station, the temporary terminus of the Silver Line, continues to be the busiest station.

###

I think I may have mentioned this already, the tower crane setup at the site of the Innovation station is not the first time a tower crane was used to build a Metrorail station, George Hyman Construction used one to build the Arlington Cemetery station.

Link to PDF version at www.dullesmetro.com/news-and-updates/newsletters/summer-2015/15JUL30_Summer Newsletter.pdf

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 08 23 2015

Work has commenced on the excavation of the tunnels that will hold the conduits that will carry third rail power from the substation to the right of way east of Dulles Airport. Work continues on the installation of the 34.5 KV power feed bus.

Grading work continues from roughly Centreville Road to the location of the east abutment north of Autopilot Drive.

The foundations for the Innovation Center station are mostly done. A tower crane has been erected at what looks like mid platform in the track bed of track N2, north side, of the station.

The east abutment north of Autopilot Drive is well underway.

Excavation for the Dulles Airport station mezzanine has begun. The lanes of Saarinen Circle have been shifted to accommodate the excavation.

There were reports of cracks in the precast girders shortly after they were set on the columns along Air Fright Lane in April. No reports have been made as what will be done with those girders. It seem the cracking issues has been addressed as the Track N2 girders were set on the columns north of the Hertz Rent-a-car entrance on Autopilot Drive.

All but a couple of the mainline columns from southern most column along Airfright Lane to the shoulder of the Dulles Greenway are done. Most of the columns for the east yard lead are done and all of the west yard lead column are done from the junction of the yard leads to the shoulder of the Dulles Greenway. The column for the straddle bents that will support both the mainline and the west yard lead have been built. Work on the column piles in the median of Dulles Greenway has not begun yet.

Test track and Commissioning Facility

The commissioning facility building has been turned over to WMATA and is now being used by the folks charge with making the 7k cars revenue ready.

The multilevel parking structure has also been turned over to WMATA and is being used by employees.

The test track ballast has been groomed to its finished elevation. Third rail section have been installed but have not been bolted and bonded. The track circuits Wee-Z bonds and marker coils to control automatic station stops have been installed.

###

Pictures at picasaweb.google.com/cambronj DCMP 08 23 1015.
Pictures at picasaweb.google.com/cambronj Greenbelt Test Track and Commissioning Facility.
Captioned thumb nails along with the above and past essays can be view at cambronj.blogspot.com DCMP 08 23 2015.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2015 10:03PM by Sand Box John.

making more room for illegals on their way to obama is only paving a way for political families to pat each other on the back while horking huge projects

ask where the jobs are the answer is still going to be the same as it was since the middle 1990's democrat scourge on fairfax then richmond

roadways are clogged with overpaid gov worker. widen the road to get more?


widen the road becuase it's a mexican nigger contract fx co gov fought to get

watch the history channel epison on bridge failures and developments

that "steal rail bridge" you mentioned is not designed by area engineers

it was worked out by ?chicago company who builds bridges, plans are patented (no doubt being stolen world wide)

it code the company a fortune in designs and failures to find a cost effective yet mostly rhobust design

now tell me: did fairfax hire that company to build the bridge or steal the plans and have illegals work on it ?

cost that made in usa company a fortune. and yes: theft of plans was part of the History channel episode.

Chicago spent tons of money building the world's first and finest sky scrapers - which new york took (paid for actually) and then also paid a fortune improving

when hillary got in NY all the sky scraper plans were simply given away to foreigner countries (they opened up a "sister school of technology" in Italy - a fortune only some are invited to)

google: run by foreigners maybe spies: ruined made in USA publishing industries by putting expensive schooling books online (as well as much else), free. the fucking foreigners loved it of course. usa not so much.

bridge plans stolen hmmm.

this week on TV i saw a "conspiracy show" about crystal sculls advertise that hitatchi japan has technology to write data on crystals, saying they could write it but had a hard time recovering.

hitatchi stole that from IBM

IBM can write terabytes to a single crytal and read it back ...

they use it "internally" at IBM however it is too expensive for consumers

and it IS NOT new, IBM has been doing it? a couple of decades maybe

thanks for your foreigner friendly ads trying to "Mc'Educate" america's children that fucking foreigners developed things they didn't

fact is not only has (congress) turned their back while foreigners stole USA blind ... the fuckign foreigners are now running tv ads they infact have newly invented the thigns they stole

and they intend people believe it ... it is a full attack

so i see on TV this week france / other countries who went WAY past their budget developing super-trains ...

they indend on "building them in the USA"

OH REALLY MOTHER FUCKERS?

you spent the fuck out of your taxpayers money and to avoid coming up short you'd do a same project in the USA (who already has overspent train projects) and spend the fuck out of USA's taxpayers money?

put some europeans in USA gov and force the USA into a euro super train building?

(it's a well known fact super-trains are tech but not tech that has proven to be worth it's cost. and they are high maintenance.)

ah ... the world of government projects

Western FFX County Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Oh, and I really like the fact that my commute
> from Mclean to Chantilly has almost doubled
> because of the fucking lights and crosswalks that
> are in Tysons. Really f'ing great for 50 cars to
> have to wait while 1 person walks across 123 to
> get to the metro.


Rarely happens, there is a skywalk

Troll shit, you are pretty easy to spot yucky24.

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 09 22 2015

Silver Line Phase 2 Rail Yard and Maintenance Facility


Q: Where is the rail yard located?
A: The rail yard and maintenance facility will be located on Dulles Airport Property along Route 606.

Q: How large is the facility?
A: The facilities and tracks will be built on approximately 90 acres.

Q: What is its function?
A: The rail yard will be used to store trains overnight and as needed. The rail yard will have a capacity of 168 rail cars. The maintenance facility will consist of five service buildings that will be used to maintain and repair trains.

Q: How will the public be affected by this portion of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project?
A: Construction of the rail yard and maintenance facility will have a small impact on the public as the majority of the work will take place on Dulles Airport property. However, traffic on Route 606, a major commuter artery, will be minimally impacted by project trucks and employee vehicles traveling through Mercure Business Park.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: $250 million.

Q: Who is the contractor?
A: The primary contractor for the rail yard and maintenance facility is Hensel Phelps, a Chantilly-based company.

Q: When does construction begin? When is it expected to end?[/b]
A: Construction began in July 2015 and is expected to complete in Fall 2018.

Q: What construction will be taking place in Fall 2015?
A: As of September, the contractor is working to complete the initial phases of construction including relocating staff and preparing the land for the facility. Current work taking place includes:setting up trailers, installing E&S measures, clearing & grubbing and rough grading the site.
During next few months, the grading operation will continue, in addition to the installation of storm sewers and drainage structures. A blasting operation to crush the bedrock is being plannedin
coordination with Dulles Airport, Fairfax and Loudoun Fire Departments.

Q: How can I learn more:
A: For general project inquires email outreach@dullesmetro.com or visit www.dullesmetro.com.

Stephen Barna Leads Rail Yard & Maintenance Facility Construction


Photo courtesy of Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Stephen Barna serves as the project director for the $260M Rail Yard and Maintenance Facility Contract, also known as Package B. Package B consists of the construction of the new Metro Silver Line Rail Yard and Maintenance Facility located on the north side of Dulles Airport property.

Barna has a history with Metrorail construction. He began his career with a local general contractor on the original Blue Line construction. His experience as superintendent for the King Street Station and rail line in Alexandria, among other Metrorail projects, served him well overseeing the Phase 1 construction of the Tysons Corner tunnel and aerial guideways.

"Design and construction of the Silver Line Project is an incredible challenge. Along with the rail line we are building bridges, stations and the entire infrastructure it takes to operate the system.

That includes electrical power, communications, water, sewer, highway improvements, etc."
With decades of experience, Barna came to the project in 2009. His current work on the Rail Yard and Maintenance Facility has proven to have different challenges than his experience in Phase 1 constructing the Silver Line in the densely developed urban area of Tysons Corner.

"The Rail Yard and Maintenance Facility site is a 90-acre completely undeveloped area. It has its own set of unique environmental and construction challenges to be overcome. The new few years will be exciting as construction moves forward and the facility begins to take shape."

Barna received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and is a Registered Professional Engineer in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Soil Relocation along Route 606 Completed

During Phase 1, the rail project stockpiled dirt removed from Tysons Corner on 40-acres that are now part of rail yard site. The 1.3 million cubic yards was relocated and the site re-graded to accommodate the new construction. Atlantic Contracting and Materials Company served as the contractor for the soil removal project.


Photo courtesy of Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Rail Yard and Maintenance Facility Location


*Yellow Area = Rail Yard and Maintenance facility

###

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

So they officially broke ground? About damn time.

Joke Insurance
So they officially broke ground? About damn time.

Construction of the yard and shops is not as complex an indever as building the line and stations in the median of an active highway.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2015 08:24AM by Sand Box John.

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 10 25 2015

Excavation for the foundations at the Herndon station has begun.

Most of the sound wall at the Innovation Center Station are complete. The foundation for tower crane is within the footprint of the north, track N2 sound wall, not in the N2 track way as noted in my previous post.

The bridge girders over Centerville Road have been set. They are of the same design as the girders over Horsepen Run.

The right of way barrier walls east of Rudder Road have proceeded several hundred feet more further east.

Columns have begun to come out of the ground west of the east abutment west of Rudder Road.

Excavation at the airport station on the mezzanine side of the of the pedestrian tunnel is nearly complete. Columns have begun to come out of the ground west of the station.

All of the mainline columns from the southern most column along Airfright Lane to the shoulder of the Dulles Greenway are done. Girders continue to be set heading north along Autopilot Drive, as of this date 36 have set along Autopilot Drive and 8 along Airfright Lane.

All of the column in the Dulles Yard lead Y are done. I did not go back into the woods to check the progress on rest of the the columns west of the east lead junction, I think we are safe to assume they are mostly done.

No work has begun on the columns in the median of the Dulles Greenway.

Land is being cleared on the north side of the Dulles Greenway to make way for the entrance at the Loudoun Gateway station. Land is also being cleared on the south side for what appears to be a staging area.

Land is being cleared on the remainder of the site at Dulles Yard.

Most of the girders between the abutments over Broad Run have been set. To reduce the disruption to traffic on the Dulles Greenway the contractor built the column in the stream bed and set those girders before building the abutments and setting the on girders either side of the stream.

Test track and Commissioning Facility

The track work on the test track is done. The signals at the crossover are in place south of the E10 Greenbelt interlocking and are covered with bags. The marker coils for the simulated station alone with the signage marking the location of the ends of the station are in place. The simulated station is located under the Greenbelt Road overpass. The north end is roughly 185' north of the north side of the overpass. The center of the platform is located at roughly E 609+95.

###

Pictures at picasaweb.google.com/cambronj DCMP 10 25 2015.
Companion dash cam video Wiehle Reston - East To Saarinen Circle 10 25 2015 .
Pictures at picasaweb.google.com/cambronj Greenbelt Test Track and Commissioning Facility.
Captioned thumb nails along with the above and past essays can be view at cambronj.blogspot.com DCMP 10 25 2015.

@Sand Box John

Much appreciation for your longstanding work documenting Silver Line construction. There are plenty of idiots around here of course, but the rest of us really do appreciate your time and effort.

Nice work Sandbox.

Outstanding compilation of photos!!

To all, thank you.

Posted a couple more dash camera videos:

DCMP Autopilot Drive 10 25 2015
Northbound Autopilot Drive from Rudder Road to Windshear Road Dulles Airport.

DCMP Dulles Greenway 10 25 2015
Eastbound Dulles Greenway main line and yard leads elevated north of Dulles Airport.

> Steping Up: The steps at the parking facility at Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail Station.

that's a joke right?

steps appearing barely wider than railing made to fit the average hand (1 1/4 ") ??

you couldn't fit your foot on that. it's gotta be less than 9", and 9" is greedy

> AT DULLES AIRPORT: Capital Rail Constructors' crews continue soil borings at Dulles Airport.

El Paso me the auger hombre ! This post hole digger sucks!

> A second tower crane will be placed at the Herndon Station site in late 2015.

lattice steel can extend to any length safely because all forces are counter-acted by the latice equally on the strongest parts of the steel down to the ground bolts

(not really!)

where is the "free fill dirt" citizen pickup area ?

WMATA: Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 11 24 2015

Putting Finishing Touches on Phase 1


Art was installed in late November at the McLean Station.
Photo courtesy of Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.

While Phase 1 of the Silver Line continues normal operations through Tysons to Wiehle Avenue in Reston, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project crews are finalizing the details of the stations and adjacent areas.

Stations

To enhance illumination and improve fixtures in the stations, new LED lights are being installed in handrails and are expected to be complete by the end of 2015. These lights have been tested at the Greensboro Station with successful results. Additional light studies will be done at each station to see if any additional
improvements are needed.

Route 7

Drivers will see work taking place along Route 7 and other parts of Tysons Corner. Work will consist primarily of concrete repair and enhancement to implement new Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines.

Art in Transit

Artwork at the Phase 1 stations is expected to be complete in Spring 2016. While the McLean and Wiehle-Reston East Stations will be getting stained glass in the station mezzanine, the Greensboro and Spring Hill Stations will be home to lighted sculptures. Art installation at the Tysons Corner Station is complete.

Pardon our Dust Along the Phase 2 Alignment

Rail project crews are making some major changes to road patterns to accommodate project construction along the project alignment.

Recently work began on the sewer and water lines at the Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride. These lines will serve the parking facility and future Herndon Metro Station being constructed in the median of the Dulles Access Road.

Commuters will be impacted by the relocation of the Kiss & Ride, some bus bays and slug lines. Signage detailing these changes is currently displayed at the Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride to aid drivers and transit users. Fairfax Connector and WMATA bus riders are encouraged to stay alert to notifications that communicate future changes.

Starting mid-November, the ramp from eastbound Aviation Drive to the eastbound Dulles International Airport Access Highway will close for approximately one year because of construction of the aerial guideway. Signs will direct drivers to a new ramp that will provide access to the Access Highway.

What's Happening at Phase 2 Stations


Construction of the Dulles Airport Station.
Photo Courtesy of Capital Rail Constructors.

Reston Town Center Station:

The installation of support of excavation and bearing piles will begin in December and continue into the winter months.

Herndon Station:

Excavation of the site has begun, and 6,000 cubic yards of dirt of have been removed to make room for the station. A tower crane will be erected in early December for the construction of the station foundation.

Innovation Center Station:

To date, 1,902 cubic yards of concrete have been placed for the footings and track wall. Crews will be erecting 170 structural and architectural precast concrete elements and continue the installation through the winter. Structural steel erection is scheduled to begin in February.

Dulles Airport Station:

Excavation of the station is nearly complete, with more than 35,000 cubic yards of soil and rock removed to date. By late November, excavation of the Elevator Machine Room, which is the deepest part of the station at nearly 40 feet below Saarinen Circle, will be complete. Cast-in-place concrete operations will then begin and continue for approximately nine months.

The 34.5kV duct bank that will bring power to both the station and the trains is scheduled to be completed in December. Forming of the concrete columns to support the station began in November.

The pedestrian tunnel between Daily Garage 1 and the airport will close in early January while utilities are relocated and the moving walkways are modified to accommodate tunnel's tie-in to the future station. During the closure period, shuttle bus frequency will increase to transport travelers from the garage to the main terminal. The duration of this closure is not yet known.


Pier Construction of the Aerial Guideway continues at Dulles Airport.
Photo by Jennifer Alcott of Capital Rail Constructors.

###

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

Thanks, SBJ. Always love seeing these updates. All these photos will be an amazing historical archive one day...

the angles on those L shaped holders are very square

they'll hold water

that huge retaining wall on the road with bare earth being dug from one side looks especially dangerous

while the wall might extend far under the road and be properly tied back ... it doesn't appear to be

i see no clear structure to all the curvy roads and overpasses

it's beginning to look like it's a super project (billions spent) whose purpose and intent is to give a limited number rich peope in mclean easier access to riding in to DC by car

and that the rest of the county is short on infrastructure: like buildings and jobs (jobs posted that one can get a response to, not meaning jobs that are all filled before posted if posted at all)

tyson's is looking better but who's money are you using?

.
Attachments:

.
Attachments:

i hope that flying buttress is tied down. the wind will tear at that thing hard.

that long roof over the stair / escalator ...

it's a large area roof that will hold tons of snow/ice ... i hope it met code for roofing

the trusses ...

trusses "don't work" with segmented concrete structures. i hope that's iron or seal becaues it looks like concrete. is it "for looks only?"

(the trusses on the walkway. walkways are infamous for being under-built due to their "holding less load" and having problems collapsing due to lack of foresight)

i predicted the lower roof might not be supported except maybe horizontal integated ibeam that can't be seen, no apparent a-frame or beam supports are possible

i now see through the window the upper roof has no support except by any integrated ibeam (not visible)

.
Attachments:

@ Rail Rider
Your welcome.

@ dDMJ7
That is a slury wall, it is 3' thick, it has is rebar cage in it to reinforced it. Most of the soil in that part of Northern Virginia is pretty stiff and does'nt collapces when trenched like the sedmentry soils east of the Pedmont.

@ JnTcC
Models of all of the structures in the stations were wind tunnel tested to withstand hurricane force winds.

Sand Box John Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @ Rail Rider
> Your welcome.
>
> @ dDMJ7
> That is a slury wall, it is 3' thick, it has is
> rebar cage in it to reinforced it. Most of the
> soil in that part of Northern Virginia is pretty
> stiff and does'nt collapces when trenched like the
> sedmentry soils east of the Pedmont.

> @ JnTcC
> Models of all of the structures in the stations
> were wind tunnel tested to withstand hurricane
> force winds

the flying buttress will allow a snow/ice cap that's very heavy since it will pile at the V

well never mind i trust you ... hurricane sounds well built

>> trusses "don't work" with segmented concrete structures

i see. a close-up looks much different, it's not concrete at all. and the lateral support i was worried about at the top is clearly seen inside / ceiling.

they intalled the roof crooked though
Attachments:

.
Attachments:

so that "V" of the flying buttress will hold tons of ice/snow mix.

likely the roof has ibeams i cannot see. i see no columns spanning up in the middle.

the flying buttress and wind. is supported on brick ? tremor, heat expand contract, icing weight unweight, brick cracking / ice

i can't imagine the brick, though likely rebar'ed wall brick, will support a strut which gives stresses in changing directions (mortar cracking does what to the profile of uplift?)

but on the OTHER hand if trusses are on that grey "brick cap" spanning the top of the brick, then i can say: what is holding the cap on the brick so that uplifing force does not tear at it ?

perhaps is so heavy with cant push it up but force of a wing that size in high wind i know would blow over a car

that's why i wondered if it were, like a tent, tied down into an ostensibly unmovable grounding rod

.
Attachments:

DOLLY MADISON Boulevard?

are you SURE?

Are they not called "Florida I beam(s)"?????

NUFVN Wrote:
> so that "V" of the flying buttress will hold tons of ice/snow mix.
>
> likely the roof has ibeams i cannot see. i see no columns spanning up in the middle.
>
> the flying buttress and wind. is supported on brick ? tremor, heat expand contract, icing weight unweight, brick cracking / ice
>
> i can't imagine the brick, though likely rebar'ed wall brick, will support a strut which gives stresses in changing directions (mortar cracking does what to the profile of uplift?)
>
> but on the OTHER hand if trusses are on that grey "brick cap" spanning the top of the brick, then i can say: what is holding the cap on the brick so that uplifing force does not tear at it ?
>
> perhaps is so heavy with cant push it up but force of a wing that size in high wind i know would blow over a car
>
> that's why i wondered if it were, like a tent, tied down into an ostensibly unmovable grounding rod

All of the masonry is veneer, They are precast panels attached to the pour in place concrete.





The only elements where the precast panels with the masonry veneer are structural are the platform level service rooms and emergency exit enclosures in the elevated stations.

Anyone remember the Tyson's Locker Plant or the Pants Corral at the Pike 7 Plaza?

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 01 17 2016

Utility tunneling under the Access / Toll Roads at the Reston Town Center and Herndon stations continues. Tunneling under the Access / Toll Roads for the third rail conduits is also underway along with continuing work on the 34.5 KV power feed bus.

Foundations for the right of way barrier walls are being installed between Herndon and Innovation Center, rebar for the barrier walls are visible on some of the foundations. Barrier wall installation continues to move east from Rudder Road to Horsepen Run.

Some preliminary ground work is taking place at Reston Town Center station.

Excavation at the Herndon station continues, a tower crane has also been erected on the track N2 side of the station.

The barrier walls along the entire length of the Innovation Center station are done. Columns that will support the mezzanine and mezzanine canopy are up to the level of the mezzanine.

The south straddle bent that will carry the elevated over the eastbound Access Road north of Aviation Drive was recently poured as it still has its protective blanket covering it. All of the columns west of the east elevated abutment in the median of the Access Road are near completion. The foundations for the straddle bent columns that will carry the elevated over the eastbound Access Road south of Aviation Drive have are done. One of the columns for the straddle bents that will carry the elevated over the eastbound Access Road south Aviation Drive has come out of the ground. No other column foundations work east of the airport station is underway.

Excavation of the airport station mezzanine is complete. The invert has been poured and preparation for the floor slab has begun. The Garage 1 pedestrian tunnel was closed on 01 11 2016 to allow the modification to the tunnel to allow the connection of the station entrance. See Section at Center Line Pedestrian Tunnel N10-NGA-A-303 in the airport station post for the detail of the modification.

All of the columns west of the airport station south of Aviation Drive are various stages of completion.

The remainder of girders have been set on the columns along Autopilot Drive to the 2nd column north of Materials Road. Pouring of the concrete deck has follow the setting of the girders. The contractor moved the cranes 9 columns north of Materials Road and began moving south, they have set 3 of those spans.

The yard lead columns appear to be mostly complete. Jersey barriers have been placed along the right shoulder of the westbound Dulles Greenway in preparation for the lane shift to allow the construction of the mainline elevated flyover, west yard lead elevated flyover, abutments and yard lead junction. No work in the Median of the Dulles Greenway has begun in this area.

Clearing and leveling that involves the use of explosives is taking place on the south side of the Dulles Greenway at the Loudoun Gateway station. (in my previous post I noted this as a staging area) Material from that clearing is being moved to entrance area north of the Dulles Greenway. No work in the median at the site of the Loudoun Gateway station has begun.

The east and west abutments at Broad Run have not been constructed.

A column in the median of Dulles Greenway that will carry Central Station Drive at the Ashburn station has been built. No work in the median at the site of the Ashburn station has begun.

Clearing of the site of the Dulles Yard is well underway. The contractor has graded what appears to be loop tracks at the south end of the site.

###

Pictures at picasaweb.google.com/cambronj DCMP 01 17 2016.
This and previous posts in this series can be seen at cambronj.blogspot.com.
Companion dash cam video shot westbound along Dulles Access Road from Wiehle Avenue in Reston to Saarinen Circle in front of Garage One

John in the sand box of Maryland's eastern shore.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/2016 04:13PM by Sand Box John.

WMATA: Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 02 19 2016

DC to Dulles and Beyond: Metrorail on Track


Future track supports travel through the snow-covered woodlands at Dulles
Photo by Jennifer Alcott, Capital Rail Constructors.

The blizzard of 2016 and February's ice, rain and snow slowed construction of the second Phase of the Silver Line, but not very much.

While the blizzard piled up to 29 inches at Dulles Airport and 25 to 30 inches at points along the alignment, simply getting to the work site was the main problem for workers, project officials said.

Once onsite, workers spent many hours clearing the snow from construction sites, including the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway corridor, around cargo areas at Dulles Airport and near car rental agencies.

The snows turned the airport into a winter wonderland.

This photo, above, shows the girders that will support the future guideway for aerial tracks for the Silver Line west of the terminal and bound for the Ashburn area where the terminus station is being built. Actually not, those are the columns for the yard lead elevated that connects the mainline to Dulles Yard.

Construction of Phase 2 of the Silver Line from Reston to Ashburn has hit the 30 percent mark.

"We have continued to build momentum through good weather prior to the recent snow storm, and work is continuing," said Kevin Volbrecht, Project Director for Phase 2, Package A. "The storm didn't impact the critical underground hand-mining for future utilities in the Dulles airport highway corridor." Hand mining is required because of vast amounts of below-grade granite in the corridor.

At Dulles Airport, workers have recovered and removed the snow and are setting 84 and 72 inch girders, should read 84 and 72 foot girders, according to Volbrecht. However, the pouring of the giant concrete slab for the future Dulles Airport Metrorail Station was delayed to allow the snow to melt and drain.

During the first week of February, crews erected a large tower crane at the site of the future station to be located between Daily Garage One and Saarinen Circle and began pile driving necessary to support construction of the future Reston Parkway station. The project launched extensive public outreach to notify those who live, play and work in the Reston Town Center and other areas where the pile driving noise may be heard.

Noise from blasting to remove granite at the site of the future rail yard being built along Route 606 west of the terminal can be heard near Mercure Business Park. Alerts continue to warn drivers of temporary road closings caused by blasting.

Meanwhile, construction continues in the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway, at the future Herndon, Innovation, Dulles Airport and Loudoun Gateway stations. Project officials continue to be optimistic about the pace of construction. "We are expecting to make tremendous progress in 2016," Volbrecht said.


A pile driver similar to the one shown is used to construct the supporting piers of the Silver Line's future Reston Town Center Station.
Photo, Capital Rail Constructors.

Pedestrian Bridge Closes to Make Way for the Silver Line
It should read pedestrian tunnel


Construction of the Dulles Airport Station. Photo Courtesy of Capital Rail Constructors.

The pedestrian tunnel between the main terminal and Garage 1 at Washington Dulles International Airport has been closed to permit construction of the future Dulles Airport Metrorail Station along the Silver Line.

The tunnel will remain closed for approximately two years, during which shuttle buses will carry travelers between the terminal and the garage. Shuttles will run every five minutes during peak travel hours to minimize delays.

"Maintaining pedestrian access is a primary concern as we undertake these changes," said Charles Stark, the Rail Project's Executive Director.

Extensive signage is in place throughout the airport to direct travelers. The Jan. 4 closing required extensive coordination with airport staff. Rail officials and airport staff will continue to monitor travelers' experience and make changes to signage, if needed.

Walkway access between Garage 2 and the main terminal remains open. The construction work includes multiple utility and communication line installations and reconfigurations. In addition, moving walkways must be shortened and adjusted to accommodate the new rail station at the mezzanine level of the airport.

When Metrorail opens, the tunnel will connect the station, as well as the garage, to the terminal.

Silver Line Support Straddle Bents Will Total 8
Gee, I wonder where they picked the term "Straddle Bent"


Photo, Capital Rail Constructors.

Crews working on the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project successfully completed a significant operation on Jan. 8, by pouring 473 cubic yards of concrete needed to construct a large "straddle bent" over the Dulles International Airport Access Highway.

A straddle bent supports a structure that spans a particularly wide area where piers cannot be used directly beneath the span.

Massive concrete operations require significant coordination between project crews and the airport.

The work on Jan. 8 required 49 truckloads of concrete, and caused minimal interruptions to eastbound traffic along the Access Highway. The concrete pour took about 6.5 hours to complete, including preparation time.

To ensure structural integrity, several tests are conducted prior to pouring the concrete. Test cylinders are poured and post-tensioning cables are tested to confirm compliance.

As the project continues, it will require seven additional large straddle bents on or near airport property, including two more over the eastbound Access Highway lanes and one over the westbound lanes. This work is scheduled to be completed by the third quarter of 2016. Work on the four remaining straddle bents over the eastbound lanes of the Dulles Greenway is projected to begin in late 2016.

###

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

TbVkD (one of best threads on FFXU)

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 03 27 2016

Construction on all of the stations along the Dulles Access Road is now taking place. Excavation and pile driving for the foundation at the Reston Town Center station is well underway. The trees and brush have been cleared from the site for the Sunset Hills Road entrance on the north side of the station.

The Herndon Station has begun to come up out of the ground. The foundations are mostly complete over the entire length of the station. Forms for the first section of wall on the inbound side is in place. The wells for the hydraulic pistons of the mezzanine to platform elevators are in place.

The Innovation Center station continues to lead the race to completion. All of the columns up to the the mezzanine level are in place. The west ancillary has been topped out and has had its precast panels installed on both sides and the east end, the west end is sill open. Land on the south side of Sunrise Valley Drive has been cleared for the station entrance and parking garage.

Construction of the right of way barrier walls are at various stages of completion between Herndon and the east elevated abutment west of Rudder Road.

Ground work continues for storm drainage in the areas where right of way barrier walls has not commenced construction.

Mining for the utilities and traction power tunnels under the roadways of the access and toll road continues at various locations. The 34.5 KV power feed bus along most of the length of the Dulles Access Road is being trenched under the eastbound shoulder of the Access Road. Portions of the shoulder along Rudder Road north of the Dulles Assess Road have been milled off to allow the trenching of 34.5 KV power feed bus between the Access Road and Autopilot Drive.

The west straddle bent that will carry the elevated over the eastbound Dulles Access Road north of Aviation Drive is done. The forms have been set for the east straddle bent. I doesn’t look like concrete has been poured yet. South of Aviation Drive the columns for the two straddle bents, one over the eastbound and westbound Access Road, are done. None of the columns have come up out of the ground between Aviation Drive and the straddle bents south of Aviation Drive. Only one column between straddle bents south of Aviation Drive and the east end of Dulles Airport station have come up out of the ground.

At the Dulles Airport station, forms have been placed for the floor above of the mechanical room adjacent to the mezzanine to platform elevator pits. The first section of floor slab at the mezzanine level on the west end has been poured. Rebar for the second section is being placed. Rebar for the walls at the west end are also being placed. All of the columns for the station outside of the footprint of the mezzanine are at various stages of completion. The pedestrian tunnel has not been daylighted yet to make the connection to the station entrance. I think we can safely assume that is being held off to accommodate the shortening of the moving side walks and the modification of the profile in the part of the tunnel south of the station entrance.

Again all columns west of the Dulles Airport station are at various stages of completion including the columns along Airfright Lane south of the columns where the first girders were set.

The the decks on girders along Autopilot Drive between Rudder Road and Materials Road are done. Forms for the deck on the girders north of Materials Road extend out to just short of the east yard lead junction. Girders have been set to the last mainline column before the flyover and have been set roughly halfway between the east yard lead junction and the west yard lead junction.

Work on blasting to grade the site for Dulles Yard continues. It looks like the area for the shop building is being prepared for ground work.

Construction on the abutments for the Broad Run bridge have still not been completed.

No construction has begun at the sites of the station west of Dulles Airport. However jersey barriers are being placed at various location along both shoulders of the Dulles Greenway west of Old Ox Road VA-606.

I have now learned that the work being done west of the Old Ox Road VA-606 Dulles Greenway interchange is a VDOT project that will rebuild and upgrade the road to four lanes divided from west of the Dulles Greenway to west of the Loudoun County Parkway. At Horsepin Run, a bridge is being built next the to the exiting road at a higher elevation to eliminate the pipe culvert that drains Horsepin Lake into Broad Run.

###

Pictures at picasaweb.google.com/cambronj DCMP 03 27 2016.
This and previous posts in this series can be seen at cambronj.blogspot.com.
Companion dash cam videos:
Wiehle Avenue, Reston - west to Saarinen Circle 03 27 2016
Saarinen Circle - east to Wiehle Avenue, Reston 03 27 2016



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/01/2016 08:46AM by Sand Box John.

Why the hell aren't they building out one station at a time and open as it goes?

xmNXE

2r2f2 Wrote:
Why the hell aren't they building out one station at a time and open as it goes?

The reason is pretty simple. It is cheaper and simpler to build and open segment with multiple stations along their lengths.

During the history of the build out of Metrorail there were only two occasion where one station at time was added to the system. Dupont Circle and Glenmont, The construction of Dupont Circle was completed after the opening of Farragut North but well before the completion of the there station to the north. The construction of the Glenmont station was started well after the construction Wheaton Station began.

The original schema planed for the opening the entire 23 miles of the Tysons, Dulles, Loudoun County route called for it to happen all at once. It was broken in to two segment to spread the costs over a longer period of time.

With the way things are going now, it looks like the stations west of the airport might open a year or more after the airport station opens.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/05/2016 09:57AM by Sand Box John.

This is a great thread. Keep 'em coming.

WMATA: Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 04 13 2016

Major Work at Dulles Airport and All Stations Intensifying

The pace of construction of Phase 2 of the Silver Line, which will eventually connect Loudoun County, Dulles Airport, Reston and Herndon with downtown D.C. and the rest of the existing Metrorail System, is headed into a bustling construction period, according to Charles Stark, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority's executive director of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project (a.k.a the Silver Line).

"This is the biggest year so far for construction all along the Phase 2 alignment from Reston west to Ashburn," said Stark.The coming construction season is critical, he said. "There is a lot of work to be done."

A specific date has not been set for opening and it will be determined by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority after the Airports Authority finishes the line and transfers it to the regional agency.

Capital Rail Constructors (CRC), a joint venture of Clark Construction and Kiewit Infrastructure South, is the design-build contractor for all civil work, station and support facilities construction, bridges and aerial guideway structures, and train track and systems portions of Phase 2.

In recent months, CRC crews have made progress on the construction of the aerial guideway that will carry the Silver Line above Dulles Airport. Rail project officials have collaborated with airport executives and operations staff, airport users, employees and tenants such as cargo carriers and rental car agencies, to ensure construction does not interrupt critical traffic movements day or night.

The installation of 72" and 84" girders for the superstructure portion of the aerial guideway has progressed through the heavily treed areas of the northeast end of Dulles Airport toward the Dulles Greenway. Deck work to prepare the guideway for future track installation is taking place.

Two large straddle bents - each requiring between 380 and 489 cubic yards of concrete - have been constructed over particularly wide areas where piers cannot be used to support the spans. These aerial guideway elements are comprised of two vertical columns connected by a cap, also known as a "bent," and will support the girders and deck over the road crossings as trains enter and leave the airport. A total of four large straddle bents will be needed at Dulles, and an additional four will be built over the eastbound Dulles Greenway at night.


Concrete is placed on the deck of the Silver Line's aerial guideway at Dulles International Airport to prepare the deck for track installation.
Photo by Capital Rail Constructors.


Span 105 of the aerial guideway in the yard leads at the north end of Dulles International Airport marks the juncture where the Silver Line splits with the main line heading out to the median of the Dulles Greenway, and the secondary line heading to the rail yard.
Photo by Capital Rail Constructors.

All six stations-Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Dulles Airport, Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn-are currently in some stage of construction. In fact, Metrorail's distinctive exterior facade is already being installed at the Innovation Center Station. "You can easily tell that it is a station," project officials report.

This station, near the Center for Innovative Technology and Route 28, is a buzz of construction. Not only are station and access points coming along, Fairfax County is beginning work on the parking garage, and a private contractor is building a mixed-use complex nearby.

Here's what's happening at some of the other stations:

• Reston Town Center: Pile driving and other preliminary station work will continue through April. This spring, the first tower crane at the Reston site will go up in the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway (DIAAH), to be followed shortly by a second tower crane at that location, and will bring the total number of tower cranes concurrently in use on the project to five.
• Herndon: A tower crane has been in place for months to facilitate station construction. Preliminary road changes and bus re-routings at the Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride facility have taken place as utility and other prep work speeds up, especially along Sunrise Valley Drive. Work on a traction power substation near Herndon Station is starting. This is one of several sites where the hardness of below-ground rock is forcing crews to do hand-mining rather than use drills to break through.

Low profile caps will support the girders and deck of the Silver Line where it will cross Autopilot Drive at Dulles International Airport.
Photo by Capital Rail Constructors.


The Dulles Airport Station site is a hive of activity as DCMP crews backfill the elevator machine room perimeter walls perform waterproofing and install steel rebar in preparation for the mezzanine mat pour.
Photo by Capital Rail Constructors.

Bus ramps, turn lanes work coming in Tysons

As a part of close-out of Phase 1, Dulles Rail project contractors will soon be making some repairs for the bus ramps and turn lanes at the McLean and Spring Hill Metrorail Stations. Dates and times will be released in advance of the work.

Working together near future Herndon Station

Rail project and Fairfax County officials are working together to coordinate duct bank and other work near the future Herndon Rail Station. The rail team (Capital Rail Constructors) is building the rail line and station and the county is building the parking garage. Coordinating schedules is maximizing efficiencies as both teams work almost side by side.

###

A couple of the pictures are kind of old.
When I was out there on 03 27 2016 the girders had been set well past of the of the east yard lead junction:


The forms were in place over the elevator machine room:


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

WMATA: Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 06 13 2016

Silver Line Phase 2 Construction Ramps Up

Steady progress continues on Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project with the design nearly complete and ample elements to capture curious eyes.


Night crews work on the future Dulles Airport Station.
Photo by Chuck Samuelson, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

As construction continues to ramp up through 2016, commuters will see work along the entire 11.4 - mile stretch of Phase 2, which extends from the existing Wiehle-Reston East Station westward to Dulles International Airport and beyond to Ashburn in Loudoun County.

"This is the biggest year so far for construction all along the Phase 2 alignment from Reston west to Ashburn," said Charles Stark, the executive director for the project. "there is a lot of work to be done."

Currently, the project's design is 99.3 percent complete and construction is around 17 percent complete.

Considerable work has been done at Dulles Airport and at the Innovation Center Station site, which is the first station to the east of the airport. Traversing the Dulles Airport property requires the use of an aerial guideway consisting of drilled shafts, columns, caps, girders, decks and other engineering elements. The shafts, columns and caps are mostly complete with about 200 girders set along the guideway.

In addition to the aerial guideway, considerable work has been done at the Dulles Airport Station site adjacent to Garage 1. The pedestrian tunnel running from Garage 1 to the main terminal has been closed to permit construction of the station. Once work has finished, the tunnel will reopen to provide access for those parking in the garage as well as those arriving or departing via Metro.

The future Innovation Center Station site has experienced the most progress, taking on the look of the Phase 1 Stations, while enabling and excavation work continues at most of the other five stations comprising Phase 2. Ashburn remains an exception but excavation work is expected to begin there later this year.

Crews continue to supplement their restricted daytime schedules with night work along the alignment.

The Journey Continues at Dulles Airport Station

Pictured below is the latest rendering of the highly anticipated Dulles Airport station. Dulles will be the only station to have different design aspects apart from the rest of the metrorail. The station intends to resemble the terminal's sleek and iconic design. Passengers will be able to access the terminal through a pre-existing tunnel originating at Parking Garage 1. The tunnel is closed during construction but when reopened it will provide ease of access with multiple moving walkways.


Rendering of proposed Dulles Airport Station

What's Happening at Horsepen Lake?

Pictured below, the Capital Rail Constructors girder crew sets a precast concrete girder over Horsepen Lake at Dulles International Airport. This aerial guideway will carry metrorail cars to and from the new rail yard and maintenance facility that is being constructed as part of Phase 2 of the Silver Line. At 150 feet long, the four girders that will span Horsepen Lake are the longest and heaviest girders in the aerial guideway.


Photo by: Jennifer Alcott, Capital Rail Constructors

Highlights

On June 3, reporters from Loudoun Now toured the construction site of Innovation Center Station.



On June 4, employees from the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project answered questions about Phase 2 and handed out goodies to the public at the 36th Annual Herndon Festival.



On May 23, members from the American Society of Civil Engineers took a closer look at Dulles Airport Station and the construction of the aerial guideway.



Did You Know?

• The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project is currently one of the largest megaprojects in the United States.
• Over 50,000 cubic yards of concrete will be used in constructing the aerial guideway that will carry trains through Dulles International Airport, to the rail yard, and out to the Dulles Greenway.
• Approximately 4,200 pieces of precast concrete will be fabricated and erected to form the six Silver Line Phase 2 stations.

###

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

One of the two or three actually good threads on FFXU!

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress pictures 06 26 2016

Construction on all of the stations along the Dulles Access Road continues.

Right of way barrier wall have reached as far east the Fairfax County Parkway.

Footer for the walls at the Reston Town Center station are partly done. The second tower crane has been erected.

Excavation at the Reston Town Center station is mostly complete and the foundation are being poured. The second tower crane has been erected.

The walls and column to support the mezzanine and mezzanine canopy are done at the Herndon Station with the exception of the small section where the tower crane stands. The invert under the platform in the east half along with the track bed subgrade is has been completed. Traction power substation #13 west of the bus terminal loop has its conduit stubouts in place for both third rail feeds and 34.5 KV power feeds. The slab for the substation has not been poured.

The Innovation Center station has its platform and mezzanine in place including the station manages kiosk. Column foundation for the south pedestrian bridge are in place on both sides of Sunrise Valley Drive. The south entrance pavilion site has been cleared and the well casings for the entrance elevators pistons have be installed. Brush and trees have been cleared from the site for the north entrance.

Traction power substation #15 inside the loop ramp from southbound VA-28 Sully Road to eastbound VA-267 Dulles Toll Road is basically at the same stage as #13 at the Herndon station.

All of the columns and straddle bents north of Aviation Drive are done, forms on one pair remain to be striped. The straddle bent over the westbound Dulles Access road south of Aviation Drive is done, the one over the westbound lanes has been poured. The remainder of the columns between Aviation Drive and the Dulles Airport station are in various stages of completion.

The wall surrounding the Dulles Airport station mezzanine are mostly complete. The walls surround the west ancillary area are done. The columns that will support trackways and platforms in the station are in various stages of completion.

All of the columns west of the Dulles Airport station and south of Aviation Drive are done with one pair awaiting the stripping of the forms.

The first 4 girders set on the columns along Airfright Lane that were later to be discovered with cracks in them have been removed.

None of the columns south of the southern most column on the east side of Autopilot Drive have girder on them.

All of the column from the same southern most column to the eastbound shoulder of the Dulles Greenway have girders and completed decks and parapet on them. The columns of yard lead 3 between eastbound track N1 and the junction with westbound yard lead 2 have had their girders set. The deck has been poured to just short of yard lead 2 and the parapet 1/4 of the way. The columns for yard lead 1 and 2 from just east of the yard lead 3 junction to the columns just short of the west side of Horespen Lake have had their girders set. 4 150' girders have been set over Horespen Lake. Construction of the abutment west of hourspen lake has not begun. The columns for the mainline and yard lead straddle bents in the median of the Dulles Greenway are beginning to come up out of the ground. The eastbound shoulder of the Dulles Greenway between the on ramp from eastbound VA-606 Old Ox Road to south of the mainline flyover has been completed. Clearing of the site for traction power substation #18 adjacent to the right shoulder of the off ramp from westbound VA-267 Dulles Greenway to VA-606 Old Ox Road has begun.

According to the progress report (2.48 MB PDF file) released by MWAA dated 06 21 2016, 146 of the 338 84' girders have been set, 50 of the 88 72' girders have been set, 4 of the 4 150' girders have been set over Horespen Lake. 53 of the 173 spans have had their decks poured.

The clearing of the site for Loudoun Gateway station has begun. Lane shifting work has begun behind the Jersey walls along the eastbound shoulder.

The abutments for the bridge over Broad Run are done. The girders on the west end have been set, the ones for the east end have not.

Jersey walls are at various locations between Broad Run and the tail track west of the Ashburn Station.

No work has begun at the site of Ashburn station however some grading is taking place along the south edge of the Dulles Greenway right of way easement adjacent to the east end of the station.

Clearing of bedrock at the site of Dulles Yard continues. According to the same report, linked to above, the basement of the shop building has been excavated and the foundations for the inspection pit have been poured.

The bridge abutment that will carry the new westbound alignment of VA-606 Old Ox Road over Horespen Run is mostly done.

###

Pictures at picasaweb.google.com/cambronj DCMP 06 26 2016.
This and previous posts in this series can be seen at cambronj.blogspot.com.

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 07 27 2016

Phase 2 Construction Reaches 30 Percent Completion

Construction of Phase 2 of the Silver Line has hit the 30 percent mark and design is virtually complete, according to information supplied by the Dulles Rail Project team to the Federal Transit Administration in mid-July.

Work continues at station sites and at 16 of the wayside support facilities -- such as traction power substations and train control rooms -- as well as ongoing mass excavation at the Loudoun Gateway Station site.

What the next 6-8 weeks of construction will bring:

• Track wall, storm pipe and 34.5kV duct bank (which will feed power directly to the trains) work is ongoing.
• Work at six of the nine pavilion sites will include drilled shafts, footings, duct bank, utilities and clearing.
• Lane shifts, paving and striping will continue along the Dulles toll Road/Airport Access Highway and the Dulles Greenway.
• Concrete foundation pours and concrete barrier wall construction is ongoing at the Reston Town Center Station.
• Ongoing steel erection at the Innovation Center Station.
• Assembly of the future Innovation Center Station pedestrian bridges begins.
• Pre-cast erection at the Herndon Station is ongoing.
• Final pier shafts for the aerial guideway at Dulles Airport to be drilled in early August.
• 34.5kV duct bank work continues along Rudder road and moves to Autopilot Drive and the cargo area at Dulles Airport.
• Work on the four straddle bents over the Dulles Greenway will begin.
• Storm pipe and 34.5kV duct bank work continues in the median of the the Dulles Greenway.

At Dulles Airport:

• Station column construction continues.
• Cross girder installation will be ongoing.
• Pre-cast erection will begin.
• Fiber support steel will be installed.
• Removal of the pedestrian tunnel roof will start.
• Girder installation and deck construction is scheduled to return to Autopilot Drive at the Dulles Airport and continues south through the cargo area.
• 34.5kV duct bank work continues along Rudder Road and moves to Autopilot Drive and the cargo area.

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project crews erect a second tower crane in the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway to support the construction of the Silver Line's future Reston Town Center Station.


The first pre-cast concrete girder at the Silver Line's future Herndon Station is erected.
Curran Johnson, Capital Rail Constructors.

Green Light For Dulles Greenway Construction

During recent months, four giant straddle bents have been constructed to suport the aerial guideway for the future Silver Line trains leading into Dulles Airport from Innovation Station.

As the remaining forms are being stripped and final inspections take place, crews are preparing to embark on the final four straddle bents; but this time, it's over the Dulles Greenway.

What are straddle bents? Think of a massive concrete span that straddles either side of a wide roadway giving support to the load on top. Because putting a pier in the middle of a highway is out of the question, straddle bents work as the unsung hero supporting unusually heavy loads when a traditional support is not possible.

"The eight large straddle bents are a critical component of the Silver Line's aerial guideway," said Brad Williamson, Capital Rail Constructors' structures project manager. "With an average of 410 cubic yards of concrete and 27 tons of rebar in each one and a very technical post-tensioning process, a single straddle bent takes approximately eiight weeks to build from start to finish."

Inside the 'belly' of the straddle bent, multiple tension cords allow for ever so subtle pressure and weight fluctuations due to weather and travel, such as that of a rail car.

John Kearney, construction manager of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, says that in order for the Silver Line to reach Loudoun Gateway Station, crossing the Dulles Greenway is a necessity not only because of topography and right of way, but also so that the guideway can 'spiral' to ensure rider safety and provide an optimal ride quality for passengers onboard.

Since each straddle bent is unique, it must be poured in place rather than being pre-cast. Lane and road closures will be necessary to ensure drivers safety and traffic will be temporarily diverted when construction over the Greenway begins.

"Our crew is working in close coordination with the Dulles Airport and Dulles Greenway staff to build these labor-intensive elements with as little disruption as possible," Williamson said.

The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project will release closure information ahead of time via daily, weekly and weekend traffic alerts. Any major closures will be done during the night and should not impact rush hour commutes.


Crews pour 330 cubic yards of concrete to form the fourth aerial guideway straddle bent for the Silver Line at Dulles Airport.
Jennifer Alcott, Capital Rail Constructors.


Capital Rail Constructors.

Highlights


A station column under construction at the Dulles Airport Station.
Haigh Thornton, Capital Rail Constructors.


View of the aerial guideway taken from the window of an aircraft.
Meghan Murphy, Capital Rail Constructors
Picture looking east from plane on landing approach to runway 19C. What you are seeing is the junction of yard lead 3, to the right, with yard leads 1 and 2. The junction of yard lead 3 to mainline track N1 is between the gap in the trees to the right.


Station Manager's kiosk at the Innovation Center Station being lifted into place.
Capital Rail Constructors<

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

WMATA: Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 09 21 2016

DC to Dulles and Beyond: Metrorail on Track

Phase 2 "Land Bridge" Accommodates Possible Future Divided Highway Beneath the Silver Line

Looking years ahead, designers of Phase 2 of the Silver Line are preparing for a possible new road to allow vehicle traffic to get from one side of the Dulles Airport Highway/Dulles Toll Road corridor to the other near Reston Town Center.


Rendering of land bridge being built along the Silver Line near future Reston Station

Crews have started construction of a so­-called "land bridge structure" which would not preclude future construction of a four­-lane divided highway that would connect Town Center Parkway to Sunrise Valley Drive by running under the Dulles Toll Road, the Airport road and the Silver Line.

This structure is being built in the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway (DIAAH) near mile marker 4.8, approximately 500 feet west of the future Reston Town Center Station.

Requested by Fairfax County as an element of the Board of Supervisors' Six Year Transportation Priorities for FY2015 to FY2020, this Town Center Parkway Underpass Rail Support Structure could be built beneath the Silver Line's at­-grade track alignment. Building the bridge­-like structure in advance would minimize any impact to Silver Line Phase 2 service during future construction of the planned roadway.

This is a late change order requested by Fairfax County as all of the other bridges over roads and streams have been built.
(SBJ)

Powering the Silver Line - Giant Duct Bank to Provide Consistent Flow of Electricity
By Lisa Sheffer

Construction is underway on a 110,000 linear foot electrical duct bank that will provide a consistent flow of power to Phase 2 of the Silver Line. This will connect the Dulles Corridor from east Reston to Dulles Airport and west to Ashburn, linking the region to downtown D.C. and beyond.

"The duct bank is a vital component to the overall operation and function of the rail system. The 34.5kV duct bank system provides the pathway for power to be distributed throughout the project," said construction project manager Adam Rosmarin of Capital Rail Constructors.


Pictured above are PVC pipes located more than 10 feet underground in a trench, they house only some of the electrical supply needed to power rail cars at Herndon Station.
Photo by Stacey DaBaldo, MWAA Intern for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Overseeing the duct bank's construction systems, including the train control rooms and traction power substations, is construction manager Nick Perrota of Capital Rail Constructors.

"The 34.5kV power is high voltage and will be pulled down from three areas on the Project; the south end of Route 28, Phase 1 stations and the Shell Station substation located at the west end of the Project. These three points will provide the primary and secondary power used to power the job," said Perrota.

There are certain requirements for building the underground duct bank.

"For starters, a duct bank must be dug at least 36 inches below final asphalt," said Perrota.


Construction Manager Nick Perrota of Capital Rail Constructors and Stacey DaBaldo of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project tour the TPSS 13 Station located west of the Herndon Monroe Park & Ride.
Photo by Lisa Sheffer of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

However, a portion of the geographical layout for the Phase 2 calls for even deeper duct banks. This requires trench boxes designed to span the width of a trench during excavation and pipe laying, said Perrota. Trench boxes help prevent the walls of a duct bank from caving in while being constructed, he said.

Excavation for the duct bank requires a customized plan that accounts for various depths and pathway maneuvers around each utility. Utilities often in the pathway may include a cable line, storm drain or sprinkler head. Exact locations must be tested prior to continuing with excavation of the duct bank.

Utilities have not been the only concern, said Perrota. Large portions of the duct bank excavation revealed Diabase; a type of granite rock that is unlike the native red soil in this area, and it cannot be easily removed or redistributed elsewhere.

Construction workers are using drills to honeycomb the rock, making it easier to break with the use of a hammer in human hands. Instead, it requires the use of a honeycomb technique.

"The honeycomb technique looks exactly as it sounds," said Perrota. A construction worker will drill several connected holes in the shape of a honey comb. This method helps weaken the strength of the hard rock so it can then be struck and shattered into removable pieces.


Construction continues underway with the Phase 2 Silver line extension at the future Innovation Station located in the median across from Exits 10-11 for Herndon/Chantilly and Fairfax County Parkway. In the background, the Center for Innovative Technology can be spotted as a determining landmark for the placement of the future Innovation Station.
Photo by Lisa Sheffer, Intern for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

John Kearney, project construction manager overseeing Phase 2, is passionate about the Silver Line.

"This project is a landmark. It is not every day that you can point to something and say I had a small part in building that," said Kearney.

Construction is set to be complete in about four years and the project will then be handed off to Washington Metropolitan Airport Transit Authority (WMATA) for testing. WMATA will set the opening date, likely in 2020.

###

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

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 10 02 2016

Capital Rail Constructors has gotten A hell of a lot done this summer.

Right of way barriers are at various stages of completion between all the station along the Dulles Access Road.

Traction power substations are mostly at the ground work stage. The one that is the furthest along is #15 in the loop ramp from southbound Sully Road VA-28 to the eastbound Dulles Toll Road VA-267. The substation west of Loudoun Gateway are at the site clearing stage.

Reston Town Center has most of its mezzanine support columns in place and foundation wall for the ancillary areas. The site clearing for the north entrance I mentioned in a previous post was actually the clearing of the site for the Reston Town Center traction power substation.

Fairfax County and VDoT are paying for a change order. They have requested Capital Rail Constructors build a bridge for a future underpass west of the Reston Town Center that will connect Town Center Parkway to Sunrise Valley Drive.

Herndon now has its west ancillary area structure completed Platform and mezzanine have yet to be placed.

Innovation Center is structurally complete. The frame for the mezzanine canopy is in place. The south entrance pavilion has begun to come up out of the ground.

Sub grade for track work is complete from just west of Innovation Center to the east abutment in the median of the Dulles Access Road west of Rudder Road.

Rail has been and is being delivered at two locations. Location one: east of the east abutment in the median of the Dulles Access Road west of Rudder Road and Location two: In the lot on the southwest corner of Autopolit Drive and Rudder Road. The mill mark on rail at Autopolit Drive and Rudder Road was rolled in November of 2015. Direct fixation track fasteners have also been delivered. They are staged at various location under the elevated from south of Rudder Road to north of Windshear Road. I expect to see track work to commence sometime before the end of 2016.

All of the columns from the east abutment in the median of the Dulles Access Road to the south Shoulder of the Dulles Greenway VA-267 are done with the exception of one. That last column that remains to be completed is the in eastbound column on the south side of Aviation Drive at the top of the eastbound ramp from Saarinen Circle. The 4 Straddle bents over the Dulles Access Road are done. The elegant design of the column caps transition to the more utilitarian design north of Aviation Drive.

At Airport station the trestle bents to support the platform girders have been cast only two remain to done. The west ancillary area is in the process of being closed in with the substation area totally closed in. The pedestrian tunnel has been daylighted. The tunnel was very carefully cut where the back face of the walls in the station mezzanine will connect to the pedestrian tunnel. A temporary box has been constructed to carry the cables in the ceiling of the tunnel that were not need to be relocated. The only thing that remains to be done is the demolition and removal of the existing floor slab.

Girders have been set from Package Court to the south Shoulder of the Dulles Greenway. The girders for leads have been set from the mainline yard lead 3 and from the south Shoulder of the Dulles Greenway yard leads 1 and 2 to the abutment west of Horsepin Lake. The deck slabs have been poured on all of girders with the exception of the last 4 spans north of Package Court. The deck parapets have been installed from just north of Rudder Road to the south Shoulder of the Dulles Greenway and 4th span of of yard lead 3.

The abutment wall for the mainline in the median of the Dulles Greenway is near completion. Columns between the abutment and the straddle bent columns are at various stages of completion. The straddle bents for the mainline have not been done as the forms were recently removed from the east straddle bent for yard leads 1 and 2. The straddle bents for yard leads 1 and 2 are done. The abutment wall for the yard leads is presently being completed, the columns between the abutment and the straddle bents are at various stages of completion.

Seems the the configuration of the junction between leads 1 and 2 and the mainline has been changed from what was shown in the preliminary engineering. The preliminary engineering configuration had yard lead 2 flying over both mainline tracks and connecting to track N2 on the right side. Configuration being built has both leads flying over only mainline track N1 and connecting to the mainline track from between. Both configurations are different then what was in the Final Environmental Impact Statement.

The shop building in the yard have had their basement slabs and inspection pits poured. Clearing of the rock by blasting to bring the rest of site to the desired grade is continues. The stone being removed from the site looks like it could be for track ballast or subgrade material.

The girders have been set on the new westbound span for Old Ox Road VA-606 over Horsepin Run for the widening of VA-606 to extend to the future connection of the Loudoun County Parkway. The rock out cropping between the entrance and exit at the eastbound Dulles Greenway on the north side of VA-606 is also being done to accommodate the road widening.

Clearing of the rock out cropping at the station site at Loudoun Gateway is nearly complete. The entrance site is being used to crush and store the spoil.

The deck for the bridge over Horsepin Run has been poured.

Clearing for the station site and the entrances at Ashburn has begun. Trenching has begun for the utility tunnels that will be bored under the Dulles Greenway.

###

Pictures at plus.google.com 10 02 2016.
Dash camera video at youtube.com, Wiehle Avenue, Reston - west to Saarinen Circle.
This and previous posts in this series can be seen at cambronj.blogspot.com.

WMATA: Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 10 19 2016

Construction of Silver Line to Dulles and Beyond Rolling Along

Construction has reached 32 percent for Phase 2 of Metro's Silver Line, the $6.5 billion rail line that will eventually connect Washington Dulles International Airport and eastern Loudoun County with Tysons Corner, Arlington, downtown DC and the metropolitan Washington region.

Being built by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, owners of Washington Dulles International and Reagan National airports, the system is one of the largest construction projects in America. Phase 1, including four stations in Tysons Corner and one in Reston, opened in July 2014. Phase 2 includes stations in Reston, Herndon, at Route 28, at Dulles airport, and in eastern Loudoun - at Loudoun Gateway (Route 606) and at Ashburn (Route 772), which will be the end of the Silver Line.

Construction is speeding up all along the Dulles Corridor which basically follows the Dulles Airport Access Highway/Dulles Toll Road path, swings off into the airport, and then follows the Dulles Greenway to Ashburn. Crews are building a 14-mile long duct bank, which has been likened to a giant extension cord, that will provide electrical power to the system. Trackwalls are being built, bridges over environmental areas and roads are under construction, and gradings and excavations are underway.


The elevated aerial guideway at the north end of Dulles International Airport will carry trains into and out of the new rail maintenance yard and into the median of the Dulles Greenway, where the trains will return to at.-grade ballasted track.
Photo by: Jennifer Alcott, Capital Rail Constructors

At several locations, crews have encountered dense rocks which have forced excavations by hand because drills can't break through the rock. Some blasting has taken place along the Dulles Greenway and Route 606 near the site of the future massive rail maintenance yard, which will be the largest in the existing Metro system.

At Dulles Airport where the tracks are aerial, many of the piers and guideways (bridges) to support those tracks are in place, and pouring decks for trackbeds is almost 50 percent complete.

Project Executive Director Charles Stark reports that the "first tracks are in place" at Dulles. Five of eight large straddle bents needed for the tracks to cross existing busy roads have been poured. Guideways are in place near the car rental agencies and soon will be in the cargo areas near Fed Ex facilities.

Construction is well under way at four of the six stations:

• The Reston Town Center Station in the median of the Dulles Airport Access Highway Corridor just west of the Reston Parkway exit - two tower cranes are being used at this site where excavations and foundations are complete and precast concrete and steel work is ongoing.
• At the Herndon Station, also in the highway corridor and near the existing Herndon-Monroe Parking and Ride, bus stops have been adjusted and foundations are done. Precast and steel work continues through the end of this year.
• The Innovation Center Station near Route 28 and the Center for Innovative Technology is out of the ground and looks like the existing Wiehle Station. Ceilings are being built and platform work is set to begin late fall.
• The Dulles Airport Station excavations and foundations are done along the face of the parking garage facing the main terminal, steel and precast work continues and the transformation on an existing tunnel beneath the parking bowl into a connection via moving sidewalks from the station to the terminal is taking place.

Preliminary work such as clearings and excavations are beginning at the Loudoun Gateway Station in the median of the Dulles Greenway near Route 606, and at the Ashburn Station at Route 772 near Broadlands.

The first riders aren't expected until 2020. Construction should be complete in 2019, followed by testing before MWAA turns the project over to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the entity that will own and operate the rail line and set the opening date.


A large concrete span (straddle bent) is constructed over the eastbound lanes of the Dulles Greenway.
Photo by: Jennifer Alcott, Capital Rail Constructors

Meanwhile, local officials and business leaders continue to praise the positive impacts of the opening of the four Tysons Corner stations that are part of Phase 1. Cranes along Routes 7 and 123 dominate the Tysons skyline where transit-oriented, mixed-use developments are springing up and new rentals in high rises are commanding rents ranging generally from $1,700 a month to several thousand. Sales and the numbers of shoppers at Tysons Corner Center are soaring along with new housing units and restaurants.

Capital One is building its new corporate headquarters, which will almost match the height of the Washington Monument, near McLean Station, while Tysons Galleria is converting vast spaces into restaurants.

Route 7, once dominated by confusing traffic patterns, is becoming a sort of Main Street where new construction will feature street-level retail in high-rise residential and office buildings. The old Westpark Hotel and some buildings in the SAIC complex have been demolished to make space for The Boro, which will be home to the largest Whole Foods in the DC area, a luxury movie theater and a new public library.

At the Wiehle-Reston East Station, the temporary end of the line, new housing and retail spaces in the new Reston Station development are symbols of economic vitality and increasing transit-oriented lifestyles.

Currently developers and local officials are planning significant new transit-oriented projects at most of the stations along the Phase 2 alignment.

The opening of Phase 1 also triggered better access to Dulles Airport via Washington Flyer Silver Line Express Bus to and from the Wiehle-Reston East stations on a dedicated route for a $5 fare per person each way. When Phase 2 opens, airport users will have a one-seat, no-transfer ride from DC to Dulles.

###

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

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 11 28 2016

DC to Dulles and Beyond: Metrorail on Track

Hand Mining: One of the Toughest Jobs on Silver Line Phase 2

As work on the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project (DCMP) progresses and Phase 2 of Metro's Silver Line begins to take shape, some of the toughest work on the project is conducted underground, out of public sight. About 1,400 people currently are working on the project, which extends the Silver Line from the Wiehle-Reston East Station westward through Dulles International Airport and on to Ashburn.<.p>

To supply the rail line with needed utilities, such as water and electricity, project workers must tunnel beneath the Dulles Toll Road and Dulles Greenway to access the rail line in the median of those roads. All along the project, dense rock known as diabase (granite) has challenged Capital Rail Constructors (CRC) crews attempting to dig out those tunnels. CRC is the group contracted to build the bulk of the project. The diabase is much denser than anticipated before work began.


A CRC worker kneels in the tunnel where he is hand mining to carry utilities to and from the Silver Line Phase 2.

(Photo courtesy of Capital Rail Constructors)

Project workers first began digging by a method called "jack and bore" using a large piece of equipment that drills horizontally through the earth without disturbing roadways. However, that process was not adequate to break through the hard rock along the rail line.

For many of the tunnels built roughly every mile along the Dulles Toll Road, CRC resorted to hand mining, an intensive process that requires workers to crawl into the tunnels and break out the rock bit by bit.

"That's all basically on their knees," said DCMP senior project manager Stephen Barna.

John Kearney, another DCMP senior project manager, emphasized that hand miners perform some of the most strenuous work on the job.


This equipment, similar to a jackhammer, is used by construction crew to break through the incredibly dense rock along the Silver Line Phase 2 route.

"Imagine crawling under your desk and digging through solid rock in that tight space on your knees for eight or more hours every day," Kearney said. Further, it's a job the public cannot see and therefore cannot appreciate.

"It's an unseen and thankless piece of work," he said. "No one understands what those miners go through. They work in more difficult conditions than most of the other trades and they have to work harder to complete these tunnels and get through their days."


These CRC workers are near a completed utility duct tunnel along the Silver Line Phase 2 route.

(Photo courtesy of Capital Rail Constructors)

Digging the tunnels is but one part of the process. As the workers push forward - some shifts making up to 8 feet of progress, others making only 3 inches per shift - metal supports called liner panels are bolted around the tunnel and grout is used to fill in the gaps between the liner panels and rough, rocky walls. Once the tunneling is complete, utility lines or ducts are fed through the tunnel to supply the rail line with power, water and any other needed utility.

Next, utility line ducts are fed through the tunnel to supply the rail line with power, water and any other needed utility.

Finally, grout is poured to fill the spaces between and around the utility ducts.

Numbers Tell Story of Progress

Impressive numbers now tell the story of progress along the alignment of Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, also known as the Silver Line. Here's an update on the aerial work that has been done at Dulles Airport:

• All 197 drilled shafts have been completed.
• All 197 columns have been poured.
• 98 percent (182) of pier caps have been poured.
• 183 (62 percent) deck slabs have been poured.
• Crews continue to drill and set anchor bolts and bearings on the pier caps for girders on the guideway columns.
• Crews completed drilling Secant Piles for the Reston Land Bridge and completed pouring columns on the S­1 Guideway east of the future Dulles Airport Station. All Aerial Guideway Columns have been poured.
• The precaster continues to cast girders and prepare the girders for shipment to the site from the Coastal Precast facility.

A Big Piece of the Action

The arrival of the first segment of one of many to be built, connecting Phase 2 rail stations to both sides of the Dulles Toll Road corridor, signaled major progress in construction in late October.


The first span for the pedestrian bridge has been delivered to Innovation Center south.

(Photo courtesy of Capital Rail Constructors)

This large section arrived on the south side of the site where the Innovation Center Station is being built in the shadow of the Center for Innovative Technology near Route 28 and the toll road.

The bridges will be assembled on site and erected over the east and westbound lanes of the Dulles corridor using complex construction procedures that will demand major lane closings and shifts at each station site. Details of those erections will be announced well in advance.

Did You Know?

• Loudoun and Fairfax counties are footing the bills for parking garages for rail users in their respective counties.
• The largest rail yard in the Metro system is part of Phase 2. It is being built on a 90 ­acre site owned by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority near Route 606 and Mercure Business Park.
• Parking at Herndon Station will handle 3,500 cars (including the 1,950 spaces in the existing garage).
• Bike racks are located at each station except for Dulles Airport.

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



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2016 08:45PM by Sand Box John.

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Pictures 01 15 2017

Capital Rail Constructors continues maintaining their steady pace.

Right of way barriers along the Dulles Access Road at various location have security fence posts on them, in some places the chain link fabric and barbed has also been installed. There are still a few gaps that have been left uncompleted to allow equipment and material access for station construction. Most of the sections that have completed barrier walls have the grading done to the point for the grading of the track sub roadbed, surface cable tray trenchs have been or are being installed along some of those sections.

Ground work is mostly complete at the traction power substations east of the airport. Most of the ones west of the airport are at the ground work stage. Traction power substation #15 on the south side of the Dulles Access Toll Road inside the loop ramp from southbound Sulley Road has its prefabricated switching equipment inclosure in place. All that remains to be done is to set the precast concrete walls and pave the access driveway.

Reston Town Center has it west ancillary area totally inclosed. All of the column to support the mezzanine are done. The invert under the platform is in place. No work has been done on the site of the south entrance pavilion.

Herndon has its mezzanine slabs set along with the station managers kiosk. The west ancillary is also in place. All of the column for the south entrance pedestrian bridges are a various stages of completion. The south entrance pavilion has begun to come up out of the ground. No work has begun for the north entrance. Grading is being done on the site short term parking area along with also being used as a staging area for drainage pipe and precast manholes. No work has begun on the site on the second garage west of the existing garage.

Innovation Center as mentioned back in October is is structurally complete. All but one of the south entrance pedestrian bridge column are complete. The south entrance pavilion is ready for the installation of the precast enclosure walls. No groundwork has begun beyond site clearing at the site of the north entrance.

The rail that was staged at east abutment in the median of the Dulles Access Road west of Rudder Road has been welded into longer lengths. The stacked welded rail extends from just east of the abutment to the bridge over Horsepen Run. Most of the rail staged in the lot on the southwest corner of Autopilot Drive and Rudder Road is gone. I think we can safely assume it has been lifted up onto the elevated along Autopilot Drive and welded into longer lengths. There are multiple concrete samples on the ground at the north end of Autopilot Drive that I assume are samples from the pours for the track fasteners grout pads. Angle iron for elevated guard rail has begun to be staged adjcent to the rail that remains.

All of the columns on the airport property to support the elevated are done. Girders have been set from the 4th straddle bent over the westbound Dulles Access Road south of Aviation Drive to east end of the airport station. All of the cross girders that will support the platform girders have been set. Three spans of track bed girders have been set at the west of the station and continue to the where the girders were set along Air Freight Lane. Two platform spans have been done and have their precast slabs in place. The west platform ancillary has also been set. Deck slab pouring is moving east following the setting of the girders.

At the west abutments in the median of the Dulles Greenway, the west yard lead girders have been set to the abutment. All of the columns are done for the mainline east of the abutment. The 6th (west) straddle bent has its forms in place and the concrete has been poured the 5th (east) straddle bent is waiting for the forms to be stripped from the 6th.

Grading has begun in the median of the Dulles Greenway in preparation for drainage and the barrier walls.

Erection of the steel frame for the shop building has begun. Excavation and instalation of the third rail conduits in Dulles Yard is at verious stages of completion along with continuing project of removing bed rock in the area of the storage tracks.

Loudoun Gateway has begun to come up out of the ground. The columns that will support the mezzanine level of the west ancillary are mostly done. Just under half of the barrier walls along the length of the station are done. The remainder range from not having their foundations excavated to waiting for the forms to be stripped. The Loudoun Gateway station is unique in that no piles were needed to be driven as bed rock had to be removed from the site to bring it down to the correct grade.

Grading has begun at both ends of the new bridge over Horsepin Run that is part of the Old Ox Road widening project.

It is difficult to see what's going on at Ashburn but I think we can safely assume groundwork is being done in perpetration for the column and barrier foundations.

###

Pictures at plus.google.com 01 15 2017.
This and previous posts in this series can be seen at cambronj.blogspot.com.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/2017 09:17PM by Sand Box John.

WMATA: Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project progress update e-mail 01 17 2017

DC to Dulles and Beyond: Metrorail on Track

Silver Line Progress Steady

Construction of Phase 2 of the Silver Line is moving steadily along, according to rail project officials.

In recent weeks, Capital Rail Constructors, the project's design­-build contractor, has reported significant progress on the aerial guideways that will carry the tracks through Washington Dulles International Airport.


DCMP crews set the 495th girder ­ out of 622 girders that comprise the aerial guideway for Phase 2 of the Silver Line ­ over the eastbound Dulles Greenway.
(Photo by Jennifer Thomas Alcott/Capital Rail Contructors)

According to John Kearney, project manager/construction manager of the rail project for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority which is building the Silver line, the girders to support the future rail station at the airport are being put in along with station framing precast. And only 47 of the girders to support the aerial tracks are still to be made. Construction of the future Ashburn Station, at the end of the Phase 2 alignment, has ramped up. For example, excavations have been completed and a large tower crane, like those now in place along Dulles Toll Road at the Reston and Herndon stations, has been erected, creating a visual landmark for drivers along the Dulles Greenway, Kearney said. In addition, a huge straddle bent ­ required to carry the rail line across wide stretches where central columns cannot be placed ­ has been installed over the eastbound lanes of the Greenway and the first girders set.

Along both the aerial and ground level stretches of Phase 2, tracks are being laid.

In February, girder erection crews will move to the east side of the future Dulles Airport Station to begin setting girders. In addition, Traction Power Substation 13, one of many facilities required to power the rail line along the alignment, is expected to be delivered and erected just south of the new Herndon Station in early February.

Gaining Traction: Silver Line Phase 2 Moves Forward with Anticipated Track Work

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project crews recently marked a big day for Phase 2 of Metro's Silver Line when they began installing track along sections of the Phase 2 alignment.

"Beginning the at-­grade track work is a very important milestone," said Director of Project Engineering Stephen Barna. "It signifies the completion of all below-­grade utility work and trackway walls required to place ballast stone, ties and rails. It is an exciting time for the project."

Two kinds of track are needed for the project: one type for the at­-grade sections and another for the aerial guideway through Dulles International Airport.

Approximately 8 miles of ballasted track will be used to complete the at-grade (ground level) sections, while direct fixation track will be used for the remaining 3.5 miles of aerial track, said Nikolas Hunter, the track project manager with Capital Rail Constructors, the contractor MWAA tasked with building the rail line.


Construction of ballasted track along Dulles International Airport Access Highway during Phase 1 construction.
(Photo by Stephen Barna/Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project)

Dulles Airport Station is the only Phase 2 station along the aerial guideway; Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn are all ground level stations accessed by pedestrian walkways to be constructed over the Dulles Toll Road, Dulles International Airport Access Highway and Dulles Greenway.

Nearly 1,400 workers support the project which extends the Silver Line from the Wiehle­-Reston East Station westward through Dulles International Airport and to Ashburn. All electrical power, train control and communication duct banks, as well as track storm drain pipes and structures, must be installed prior to track construction.

According to Hunter, fifty workers will be constructing the ballasted tracks, a quicker process than direct fixation track installation.

To construct ballasted track, workers first must bring the track road bed to the correct elevation before placing and compacting finely crushed stone along the at­-grade sections of the alignment to create the sub­ballast, Barna explained. Then, a 12-­inch layer of larger crushed stone is placed to create the ballast to support the precast concrete ties that are set in place next. Sections of rail are then fastened to the concrete ties with steel plates and rail clips. Finally, a specialized machine places additional crushed rock between the ties and corrects the final alignment and grade.

Thirty workers are installing the direct fixation track along AutoPilot Drive at the Airport, Hunter said. That process requires the use of concrete plinths, which are cast-­in­-place concrete structures that support the rail. Ninety-­foot sections of rail are delivered by truck and then welded together into 'sticks' of nearly 1,000­-foot lengths and fasted to the concrete plinths with steel plates and bolts, Barna said. The final line and grade work for direct fixation track is done by hand.


Phase 2 workers install direct fixation track along aerial guideway at Dulles Airport.
(Photo by Nikolas Hunter/Capital Rail Constructors)

"Our whole purpose is to build a transit railroad for the public's use," Barna said. "After nearly four years of very difficult design and construction work, we are beginning the challenging phase of installing the track and all of the systems that will allow us to begin testing with rail cars in 2018."


Phase 1 direct fixation track and switch construction on Route 7 aerial guideway west of the Springhill Station.
(Photo by Stephen Barna/Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project)

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the entity tasked with managing the project, will turn it over to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority upon completion, which will operate it as part of Washington's regional rail system.

Sunrise Valley Drive Improvement Work Begins

As Construction of Phase 2 of the Silver Line continues, work along Sunrise Valley Drive will impact commuters.

In early January, Dulles Rail construction crews began preliminary work, including clearing and grading on Sunrise Valley to make way for improvements to access the pavilion and parking for the new station being built in the median of the Dulles Airport Access Highway/Dulles Toll Road.

Initial activities include installing erosion and sediment controls, clearing trees along westbound Sunrise Valley Drive and near the existing parking garage as well as utility relocations, widening of the westbound lanes of Sunrise Valley Drive and construction of a new West Entrance Road to the existing parking garage.
Additional construction activities will follow, continuing through 2018.
The work will require:

• Lane closures on Sunrise Valley Drive will occur between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Closure of the sidewalk on the north (westbound) side of Sunrise Valley Drive between the Arboretum and Thunder Chase Drive. A temporary crosswalk at the intersection of Milburn Lane will be installed for safety, and pedestrians will be redirected to the sidewalk on the south (eastbound) side.
• Narrowing of entrances to facilities along Sunrise Valley Drive for utility work.

Further updates will be provided as the work progresses. Drivers should exercise caution, pay attention to barriers and signage, and obey all flagger instructions.

Letters detailing the work to be done were sent to residents of the area in early January.

###

This newsletter confirms the assumption I made about the track laying on the elevated along Autopilot Drive during my observation in the post above.

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

Hey John -- great stuff. Are you just a rail geek or what? Just curious...love the posts!

Greybeard Wrote

Hey John -- great stuff. Are you just a rail geek or what? Just curious...love the posts!

Electric rail transit geek, heavy rail to be more specific. I have been following the build out of the Metrorail system sense the early 1970s. The advent of the internet has given me the opportunity to share the wealth of knowledge I have accumulated over the last 45.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2017 09:58PM by Sand Box John.