25 years in the making: Construction begins on the new Potomac Yard Metro station
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (WJLA) — Monday afternoon workers prepared to clear brush and deliver fill for the new Potomac Yard Metro Station.
It's been 25 years in the making and the final permits have been approved for construction to begin on the Metro station which will be located between Braddock Road and Reagan National Airport.
The work is the latest for the projected $370-million transportation project that has been anticipated for decades.
City officials tell ABC7 will bring about 13,000 new residents to the area and spur about 26,000 new jobs.
The Metrorail station will be between the Reagan National Airport station and the Braddock Road station on the Blue/Yellow lines.
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Environmentalists are against the project because it calls for work in nearly 4-acres of wetlands north of Potomac Greens Drive and west of the George Washington Parkway. A permit was approved for the wetlands work on November 15th.
The official ground breaking is on December 19th.
Alexandria officials say they are taking steps to ease neighbors concerns about traffic and noise.
The nearly 47,000 square foot station is expected to open in March of 2022.
Pile driving is set to begin in early 2020. Track work is expected to start next December. Construction for a pedestrian bridge is expected to start in June of 2021.
The next meeting about the new station is with Alexandria’s Board of Architectural Review on Wednesday night at 7pm at City Hall.
Nearly $70-million in Northern Virginia Transportation Authority funding is being allocated toward the project.
