The Potomac Yard Metro Station won't be opening until next year, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced.
The Potomac Yard station was supposed to open last April, then in November. Now it will open at a date to be determined in 2023.
Part of the reason: soil instability. "As site work got underway, crews discovered issues with the underlying soil that affected the structural stability of the ground beneath the tracks," WMATA explained.
The other part of the reason is that the project management team is simply behind schedule. "The delay in completing construction of the station is due to the contractor’s failure to meet the project delivery schedule. Metro will continue to work with the contractor to produce an achievable schedule and will provide an update by the end of this year," according to WMATA.
“We are frustrated with these developments on the Potomac Yard Station project," said Executive Vice President of Capital Delivery Andy Off. "The team has been working around the clock to push the project delivery team to perform in accordance with the schedule. Recently, it has become clear that the published schedule will not be met, unfortunately delaying the opening of this important station. On behalf of our customers and the City of Alexandria, we apologize for this inconvenience. We will continue to work as quickly as possible to deliver a high-quality station, and we are doing everything within our power to move the project forward in a safe and responsible way.”
In the meantime, commuters will need to continue using shuttle buses to get around the area.
