Purple Line NOW News | June 13, 2018

Welcome to the Debut of the Purple Line NOW Bi-weekly Newsletter!

We’re fast approaching the 1-year anniversary of the groundbreaking of the Purple Line and you may have noticed that construction activity is beginning to pick up across the corridor. The first year of construction has largely consisted of preparatory work such as tree clearing, utility relocation, staging areas, and demolition, but you’ll begin to see more visible signs of progress and changes to the built environment starting this month.

For that reason, we’ve decided to launch a new bi-weekly newsletter to keep the community up-to-date on the latest construction news and how it will impact getting around town, as well as important events, and general Purple Line information. Going forward, you can expect a new edition of this newsletter in your inbox every other Wednesday, provided, of course, that there is news to report.

We hope you enjoy this new feature, and if you have any feedback on how we can improve the newsletter, drop us a line at [email protected].

CONSTRUCTION NEWS TO KNOW

6-Month Closure of Lyttonsville Place Bridge

Beginning on Monday, June 18, the Lyttonsville Place bridge in Silver Spring will be closed for 6 months so the project team can construct a new and longer bridge to enable Purple Line trains and the Capital Crescent Trail to run beneath it. The new bridge will have one through lane in each direction for automobiles, as well as drop off lanes on either side of the bridge to facilitate the dropping off of passengers at the Purple Line Station. The new bridge will also include larger sidewalks for pedestrians on both sides of the bridge.

During the construction of the replacement bridge, drivers are encouraged to use the detour pictured below to get around the closure.

Excavation Work for Plymouth Street Tunnel Begins

Last Wednesday, Purple Line Transit Partners began excavation work on the Plymouth Street tunnel, which will connect Wayne Avenue to the Long Branch area of Silver Spring and house the Manchester Place station. The work will, at times, require 24-hour shifts, Monday-Friday because of the nature of mining work and to minimize noise and traffic impacts to the community; however, underground work does tend to be quieter so it is not anticipated that noise will be an issue.

The Plymouth Street tunnel is the only new tunnel being constructed for the Purple Line. The tunnel, while not particularly long at three-tenths of a mile, is one of the more challenging aspects of the Purple Line project because of the complexity of the geology, and which will likely require delicate blasting operations due to its proximity to several existing residential structures. The construction team will be implementing a number of measures to avoid causing any damage to residents’ homes.

Construction Commences at University of Maryland

Beginning on or about June 11, construction crews will begin relocating utilities under select campus roadways and sidewalks, installing and upgrading drainage systems, and removing trees and other plantings at the University of Maryland. Faculty, students and visitors will begin to see changes to vehicular traffic patterns as a result of the work.

As part of the construction on campus, the iconic M Circle will be relocated to a spot about 50 yards away from its current location. The University of Maryland recently published a video illustrating what the circle will look like in its new location.  

As an aside, the College also announced that within one year of the Purple Line’s opening, it is their goal to have more trees on campus than they have today. Pretty cool, huh? This is just another ancillary benefit of the Purple Line!

Want More Construction News?

As you know, Purple Line NOW is a nonprofit advocacy organization - we are not the entity constructing the project (that would be the Purple Line Transit Partners), though we do work closely with them to keep abreast of the latest news. Our mission is to help get answers for you as questions bubble up. Send us an email at [email protected] and we'll connect you with the folks who can give you the information you need. In the meantime, if you haven't already done so, you should sign up for Purple Line construction updates from MTA - you'll receive timely and location specific information for your residence or place of work.

PURPLE LINE NOW NEWS AND EVENTS

Next Envisioning the Purple Line Forum Announced!

You are the first to know! The next forum will be at the Park and Planning Building in Riverdale Park on Monday, July 23, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm. Watch your email for a special invitation coming soon - the event is free and open to the public, but you'll need to reserve your seat as space is limited to the first 100 folks. We are thrilled that the new CEO of the Purple Line Transit Partners, Fred Craig, will join us as a speaker along with Prince George's County Council Chair, Dannielle Glaros. We are working on the full slate of speakers right now and will announce them soon, but do put the date on your calendar now!

PURPLE LINE NOW ACTION

Get Connected!

Make sure you are signed up for timely alerts from Purple Line NOW via our Twitter and Facebook pages, and at our website: Purple Line NOW.

Become a Sponsor

Please take a moment, especially if you haven't given this year, to become a sponsor of our Envisioning the Purple Line series. Your name or your business name will be highlighted at all of the fora in the Envisioning the Purple Line series this year, as well on our website. Sponsoring is easy - and we are appreciative of all donations, large and small. Here's the link to get you started: Yes, I'll help Purple Line NOW!