The Bechtel-led team building Phase 1 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project has installed the final segment of the elevated Tysons East Guideway, a key milestone signaling the close out of the heavy civil work needed on the project.
The Tysons East Guideway is the longest of three aerial sections, which combined make up more than three miles (4.82 kilometers) of the project. It is comprised of 1,479 concrete segments, each uniquely engineered for its place on the alignment, and weighing 25 to 40 tons apiece. The remaining aerial work will be completed by the end of the summer."This milestone means that we now have the green light to finish laying the rail through this portion of the guideway, and begin connecting and testing the rail systems along the alignment," said Larry Melton, Bechtel project executive director.
In addition to the progress on the aerial guideways, construction of the stations is advancing. The Wiehle Avenue and Tysons East station structures are now finished and work on Phase 1 is nearly 80% complete.
"We’ll become a little less visible to the public as we move into the intricate work of connecting the Dulles extension to the existing rail line and start to power up," said Melton. "We are bringing on approximately 300 electricians from around the region to help us with this next stage of construction."
The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project is an extension of the Washington, D.C., region’s existing Metrorail system and is being managed by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
A global leader in the rail industry, Bechtel has successfully completed some of the largest and most complex rail projects in the world, including the San Francisco BART system; Athens Metro; Jubilee Line Extension on the London Underground; West Coast Main Line Route Modernization; and High Speed 1. In addition to the Dulles rail project, the company is also working on Crossrail, a new rail route through the heart of central London.
