May 9, 2014

Transit Center Update: Leggett Directs Contractors to Begin Final Fixes to Silver Spring Transit Center to Ensure Safety and Durability

Paul S. Sarbanes Silver Spring Transit Center
Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett has directed contractors constructing the Silver Spring Transit Center to move forward on the final fixes needed on the facility to make it safe and durable. Read the County’s update to the County Council delivered on May 8 (pdf).

“I have made it clear that we would not open the Transit Center until it was safe to do so. The County will deliver a facility to Metro that is safe and will meet its projected 50-year life," said Leggett. "The County will ensure that any additional costs incurred because of faulty construction, design or inspection are borne by the responsible private parties, not by the County taxpayers.”

Leggett’s instructions followed the concurrence of the Washington Metropolitan Transportation Authority (WMATA) (for whom the transit center is being built) to proceed with additional repairs (read WMATA’s letter) recommended in an April 21 report from an independent advisory committee appointed by Leggett and led by County resident and former Lockheed Martin Chair and CEO Norman Augustine.

“Today, I directed County contractors to move ahead on the final remediation work at the Silver Spring Transit Center necessary to address shear and torsion issues and ensure that the Center will not only be safe but also meet its projected 50-year life span – consistent with our Memorandum of Understanding with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA),”  Leggett said.

“I have directed KCE, the County’s contract engineering team, to meet on Monday with Parsons Brinckerhoff, the project’s engineer of record, to finalize the remediation plan consistent with concerns raised in the Augustine report. I have given the go-ahead to bring equipment on site to begin preparation for the remediation work.

“WMATA, the ‘customer’ for whom the facility is being built, is in agreement with the County Executive to undertake the remediation to address concerns raised about the possible effects of shear and torsion on the structure."

Read statement from WMATA presented at the County Council briefing by Charlie Scott, Senior Government Relations Officer (pdf).

Updates on the project, will be posted on the County’s Transit Center website.