Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is planning to rehabilitate escalators and elevators, repair crumbling platforms, upgrade station air conditioning and install new directional signs among other enhancements to its Blue and Orange lines.

The Metro Board Finance and Administration committee endorsed awarding a six-year, $272.7 million comprehensive infrastructure and rehabilitation contract designed to improve customer service, service reliability and maintain a state of good repair. The full Board of Directors will vote on the proposal on Oct. 28.

The rehabilitation program would encompass 27 miles of track and 23 Metrorail stations along the Blue and Orange lines between the New Carrollton and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Metrorail stations. The design work would start next month with the physical work beginning in late 2011.

This long-term project is the second major maintenance contract focused on upgrading the Metrorail system. The first was awarded last year for work on the Red Line. Currently, under the four-year, $177 million Red Line program, personnel are repairing the crumbling platforms at the Rockville Metrorail station and making station improvements between the Judiciary Square and Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood Metrorail stations, which includes rehabilitating elevators and escalators at Union Station and Judiciary Square Metrorail stations.

Under the Blue and Orange contract, Metro will make the following improvements:

Safety Enhancements

• Replace tunnel safety lights to enhance customer and employee safety.
• Rehabilitate tunnel ventilation and exhaust fans used in the event of a smoke incident in a rail station or tunnel.
• Upgrade and replace emergency telephone system to enhance safety.

Customer Experience

• Rehabilitate or replace 22 elevators and 103 escalators between the Stadium-Armory and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Metrorail stations
• Reconstruct crumbing platforms at the Minnesota Ave and Deanwood Metrorail stations to improve customer service.
• Upgrade station air conditioning (chiller units) at the Rosslyn and Stadium-Armory Metrorail stations
• Install ADA bumpy tiles at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Arlington Cemetery, Eastern Market, Potomac Avenue, Deanwood and Minnesota Avenue Metrorail stations for blind or vision impaired.
• Upgrade and enlarge station manager kiosks to be equipped with a new public address system and new monitors at 18 stations that will enable station managers to provide improved service to riders.
• Rehabilitate station restrooms used by customers and employees.

Infrastructure Upgrades

• Repair the rail bridge at the Deanwood Metrorail station.
• Repair 83,700 feet of tunnels including water leaks and cracks.
• Install new cross ties on the rail tracks.
• Upgrade traction power and train control systems.
• Repair station domes and acoustical walls.
• Replace and upgrade drainage pumping stations.