Silver Line Phase I Hits 40-Percent Completion Mark

Construction of Phase 1 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, which runs from East Falls Church to the edge of Reston, has reached a major milestone.

 Construction has now hit the 40 percent mark, according to project officials. Completion of this phase is expected in 2013.

This phase of the project includes four stations in Tysons Corner and one in Reston. Construction is well underway on all five stations:

• The Tysons East Station is  along Route 123 at Scotts  Crossing near the Capital One complex.  Construction is 24 percent  complete.
• Tysons Central 123, on the  northwest side of Route 123 at Tysons Boulevard  near Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria, is 22  percent complete.
• Tysons Central 7, in the median of Route 7 west of Route 123 near SAIC and Marshalls, is 10 percent complete.
• Tysons West, in the median of Route 7 between Spring  Hill and Tyco roads, is 16 percent complete.
• Wiehle Avenue, in the median of the Dulles International  Airport Access Highway and Dulles Toll Road just west of the Wiehle Avenue overpass, is 28 percent complete.

Other progress updates:

• Significant progress at I-66 and the Dulles Connector Road where the extension will merge with Metro's existing Orange line. Construction of the aerial guideway in that area is more than 93 percent complete.
• Construction of the east and westbound tunnels to carry trains from the Tysons Central 123 Station below the Route 7/Route 123 intersection to the Tysons Central  7 Station are more than 70 percent complete.
• The popular ramp for southbound traffic from McLean to the Route 267 Dulles Connector Road toward I-66 and downtown Washington has re-opened after being closed for a year for construction of the aerial guideway to carry tracks from the Connector Road to the northwest side of Route 123.
• Significant work is taking place on the piers and  guideway to carry rail from Route 7 to the median of the  Toll Road and Airport Access Highway.
• The final shift of lanes along Route 7 between Route 123  and the Dulles Toll Road to create the wide  median/construction zone for the rail line and two  stations has been accomplished.
• Construction of the aerial bridges for rail across I-495 is  continuing to cause lane closings on the northbound  lanes along with some related ramp closings and detours. In a few weeks, lane closings will also take  place in the southbound lanes.