SandBoxJohn

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.

DCA writer

The agenda for the monthly MWAA meeting that concluded this morning featured more updates on the state of Silver Line phase 2 construction. These reports don't offer as much detail about progress as July's, but the PDF on phase 2 track and station work does note that by July 31, design was complete on the project (but not for the Dulles yard, if I'm reading it correctly). It also outlines the following upcoming work:

A separate PDF relates progress on the Dulles yard, which you can now easily north of IAD as you fly over on your way in or out of DCA. By the end of July, yard construction was 17% done; the fourth quarter of this year should bring the start of track installation there, while the first quarter of 2017 should see walls going up on the two main structures.

One page reports that estimate for "substantial completion" of the yard has slipped from Aug. 17, 2018 to May 7, 2019, while "final completion" has moved from Oct. 6, 2018 to July 6, 2019. That may or may not affect opening of phase 2; Sand Box John would know for sure, but as I recall, phase 1 opened before work to upgrade the West Falls Church yard had wrapped up.

SandBoxJohn

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.
<i>Photo by Lisa Sheffer, Intern for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project</i>

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.

SandBoxJohn

DCA writer
One page reports that estimate for "substantial completion" of the yard has slipped from Aug. 17, 2018 to May 7, 2019, while "final completion" has moved from Oct. 6, 2018 to July 6, 2019. That may or may not affect opening of phase 2; Sand Box John would know for sure, but as I recall, phase 1 opened before work to upgrade the West Falls Church yard had wrapped up.

It could effect when the line might open, I can't say if it will or won't. WMATA opened the last segment of the southern Green line before the yard was ready at Branch Avenue. WMATA had bags of capacity at the other end of the line. The same can't be said for the Orange line as Fall Church Yard has limited capacity even with the added expansion that was done as part of Phase I. The tail tracks a Ashburn might do in a pinch to get things open closer to a projected opening date.

Section 107

I have to correct something here. There is no such entity as listed above.

There are two entirely different entities involved in the Silver line that have similar acronyms: MWAA and WMATA.

MWAA is the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (which operates DCA and IAD) - this is the entity that is building the Silver line. This entity is referred to as the "Airports Authority."

WMATA is the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority which runs the major mass transit system (Metrobus and MetroRail) in the District, Maryland and Virginia area. This entity is referred to as "Metro."

The Airports Authority is BUILDING the Silver Line. Once construction is completed Metro will take over operation and maintenance. [Pun not intended].

SandBoxJohn

Section 107;27264664
I have to correct something here. There is no such entity as listed above.

There are two entirely different entities involved in the Silver line that have similar acronyms: MWAA and WMATA.

MWAA is the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (which operates DCA and IAD) - this is the entity that is building the Silver line. This entity is referred to as the "Airports Authority."

WMATA is the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority which runs the major mass transit system (Metrobus and MetroRail) in the District, Maryland and Virginia area. This entity is referred to as "Metro."

The Airports Authority is BUILDING the Silver Line. Once construction is completed Metro will take over operation and maintenance. [Pun not intended].

The employee that wrote the text of the e-mail updates works for the Airport Authority or one of its agent and therefor instinctively inserted in Airport instead of Area.

When I post these updates I post them as originally published. On occasion I will note errors, in this case I missed it.

drewguy

Meanwhile, as noted in the United forum, United has extended their IAD lease until 2024, but makes no mention of any concourse upgrade . . .

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...gh-2024-a.html

SandBoxJohn

Sneak preview of my trip across the bridge to take pictures of phase II construction.

The pedestrian tunnel at the mezzanine entrance to the airport station has been daylighted:



Should have the full essay along with the pictures posted by Thursday night.

SandBoxJohn

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, .
This and previous posts in this series can be seen at cambronj.blogspot.com.

DCA writer

Thanks! (I am one of those civil-engineering nerds who stands on the Silver Line Express bus for a better view of the construction.) I think I'm going to enjoy seeing IAD swoop into view from the train.

SandBoxJohn

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.

DCA writer

Last week's MWAA board meeting brought another pair of progress reports on Silver Line Phase II construction.

An overall update as of Aug. 31 offers about a dozen photos of construction of the trackbed, aerial structures, stations and the Dulles yard--plus a table showing that "substantial completion" of Package A, the contract to build the actual line and stations, is now projected for Aug. 7, 2019. WMATA's part of the project isn't set to reach substantial completion until Feb. 3, 2020. Sigh.

A second quarterly-update PDF for Package A has more photos and the data point that 42.3% of this construction was done by the end of Q3, assuming that's what "quarterly update" means. The IAD station's precast concrete and steel structure should be done by next June, and the Ashburn station--the least far along of all of them--should reach the same point a year from now.

Section 107

I hope the irony is not lost on everyone that the Silver Line Express is touted with the convenience benefits of "door to door" service (right at the arrivals level main terminal entrance) with free wifi while the actual train service will let passengers off several hundred yards from the main terminal entrance and there will be no free wifi.

DCA writer

I have tried in vain to use the Silver Line Express WiFi many times; it's no prize. And the time spent closing the distance from the station to the terminal on foot--mostly on moving walkways--should be quite competitive with time taken up by the bus making its way around Saarinen Circle.

Section 107

Time will tell....