Metro Plans to Begin Bethesda Station Escalator Replacement in October

The often out-of-service escalators are set to be replaced

September 18, 2014 5:16 p.m.

Metro announced Thursday it plans to begin the process of replacing the Bethesda Metro station’s three long escalators.

The entrance escalators are notorious for being out of service and Metro notes they’re more than 30 years old. The work is scheduled to begin Oct. 6.

The contractor, KONE, will install the new escalators one at a time, to ensure there’s always one escalator running up and one running down, according to Metro.

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The Bethesda escalators are the second longest in the system at 106 feet each. In fact, Metro notes they’re the second longest in the Western Hemisphere, behind the Wheaton station.

Each escalator will take about 42 weeks to replace and Metro estimates the project will take about 2 ½ years to complete.

Metro warns that the work may cause some delays and asks that riders be prepared.

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