By Dusty Smith
Work along the Silver Line Phase 2 alignment is making steady progress. Stations are taking shape at Dulles Airport and eastward to Reston. Crews in February started building a new entrance to the Herndon-Monroe Park-and-Ride lot along Sunrise Valley Drive to improve access to the commuter lot as well as the coming Herndon station. Work is also underway on a traction power substation – one of nine that will supply electricity to the rail line. In addition, Fairfax County has cleared a portion of the site for construction of a new parking garage to accommodate Metro users.
To the west at Innovation Center Station, drivers along the Dulles Toll Road will see the first pedestrian bridges installed on this phase of the project. The bridges will connect the rail stations in the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway to Metro pavilions, most of which include parking, bus bays, bike racks and kiss-and-ride lots.
At the airport, the aerial guideway decks are nearing completion and crews have begun installing tracks, and the station at Loudoun Gateway to the west is beginning to take shape. Along the Greenway, work has begun on the last of four straddle bents required for aerial tracks to span that road. At Ashburn Station, the last to begin construction, a tower crane has been installed and excavation is complete.
Construction is on track for completion in 2020.