[Archived] Planned Potomac Yard Metrorail Station Receives Federal Environmental Approval

For Immediate Release: November 1, 2016

The City of Alexandria has been advised that the new Potomac Yard Metrorail Station has received environmental approval from the federal government, with the issuance this week of Records of Decision by the Federal Transit Administration and the National Park Service.  The finalization of both Records of Decision marks a major milestone in the project and the last step in the review process under the National Environmental Policy Act.  The Metrorail station now moves into the design and construction phase.

“The Potomac Yard Metrorail Station is a key part of the City’s vision for Potomac Yard as an attractive, walkable and economically vibrant community," said Mayor Allison Silberberg. "The community, members of the Potomac Yard Metrorail Implementation Work Group including Vice Mayor Wilson and Councilman Smedberg, staff, and other stakeholders have worked hard for many years to make this project a reality, and the federal environmental approval we have received takes us a big step forward. In particular, we would like to thank the staff from the Federal Transit Administration and the National Park Service, who have been instrumental in the success of this project."

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority will issue a Request for Proposals to procure a general contractor. It is anticipated that the contract should be awarded in the summer of 2017, and construction is projected to commence in late 2017 or early 2018.

Potomac Yard represents one of the most significant redevelopment opportunities for Alexandria. The new Metrorail station, to be built on Metrorail’s Yellow and Blue Lines between the existing Braddock Road and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport stations, will provide an extensive range of benefits for the city and surrounding community. The Potomac Yard station, which will be funded by grants and Potomac Yard-generated revenue, will provide walkable access to regional transportation systems for neighborhoods in the northeast portion of the city, is expected to generate billions of dollars in new private sector investment, support 26,000 new jobs and 13,000 new residents, and remove thousands of private vehicles from the congested Route 1 corridor.

For more information on the Potomac Yard Metrorail planning process, including links to the Records of Decision visit alexandriava.gov/PotomacYard.  The National Park Service’s Record of Decision can also be found at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/PotomacYardMetroStation_ROD .

For media inquiries, contact Craig Fifer, Director of Communications and Public Information, at craig.fifer@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3965.