A project to replace the canopy at the Rockville Metro station has been delayed. The latest estimate for when the work will be completed is January 2022.
Bethesda Beat previously reported that the work included demolishing and rebuilding the canopy at the Rockville station and repairing the canopy at Shady Grove. The concrete beam structures, dating to the 1980s, were deteriorating, a WMATA news release earlier this year stated.
Other canopy improvements include new LED skylights, an upgraded speaker system, new digital screens and security cameras.
While the work is done, both the Rockville and Shady Grove stations are closed.
WMATA stated in a news release on Wednesday that multiple factors are causing the delay.
One is that Metro is retrieving 32 rail cars from the Shady Grove Rail Yard to bring more cars into the Metro’s fleet, after safety concerns were discovered with Metro’s 7000-series trains.
WMATA is also making sure all of the new panels installed on the canopy meet quality standards, the release stated.
“Panels that meet quality criteria have already been installed. However, Metro identified issues with other panels during pre-installation inspections and is working directly with the manufacturer to ensure the remaining panels meet quality standards and are ready for installation,” according to the news release.
Sherri Ly, media relations manager for WMATA, wrote in an email that the opening date for both Rockville and Shady Grove has not been determined yet, but will be sometime in mid-January.
“Once construction is complete there are still things that must be done to get the station ready. We’ll have a better idea of the date once the materials issues are resolved and we will let the public know at that time,” Ly wrote.
W. M. Schlosser Co., a Hyattsville contractor working on the project, wrote in a public notice that due to “unforeseen conditions, the project to replace the Rockville Metro Station Canopy Structure” was being extended from Dec. 4, 2021, to Jan. 11, 2022.
Shuttle buses moving commuters from Rockville and Shady Grove down to Twinbrook and signage at the first two stations will still be in place throughout the closures.
The stations closed for the renovations on Sept. 11.
Steve Bohnel can be reached at steve.bohnel@moco360.media
