Metro announced Wednesday that the Silver Line would resume operations on Aug. 16 and open six stations in Fairfax County, Virginia, on the same day.
That’s weeks earlier than original planned, Metro said in a statement, in part because the drop in ridership due to the COVID-19 pandemic has kept ridership down, allowing for a monthslong shutdown that let more work get done.
Metro ridership is currently down about 90%.
The reopening stations are McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro, Spring Hill, Wiehle-Reston East and West Falls Church.
Metro said that the low ridership allowed them to combine Orange Line platform work with Silver Line signal work related to the line’s second phase, which will run to Dulles International Airport.
At the current pace, the last three stations west of Ballston — Vienna, Dunn Loring and East Falls Church — should be open by Labor Day, Metro said.
“We appreciate the patience of our customers and the business community as we have worked to complete these projects as quickly and safely as possible,” Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said in a statement. “By combining the schedules of our two biggest capital priorities in Virginia during a time of historically low ridership, we believe we have positioned Metro and the region for a strong recovery.”
