Elm Street gantry crane construction update (Photos)

Assembly of a gantry crane for the construction of the new south entrance to the Bethesda Metro station continues on Elm Street. In addition to the framelike structure, you can now see part of the actual crane machinery has been installed. The Metro station platform is 120' below street level, and space is constrained between the 7200 Wisconsin property and the Hampden House construction site across Elm Street. I believe this is the first time this type of crane has been utilized in Bethesda.

Work begins again on Purple Line, new Red Line entrance in downtown Bethesda (Photos)

Work has restarted on the Purple Line light rail system and station in downtown Bethesda, and on the related new south entrance to the Bethesda Metro station. You can see these shipping container-style trailers have been placed on the site behind 7272 Wisconsin Avenue. Matt Pollack, Executive Director for Transit Development and Delivery for the Maryland Transit Administration says the new elevator entrance to the Bethesda Metro station will involve some unique excavation and construction methods to work in a very confined space. 

"The gantry is quite an interesting bit of engineering, involving a crane supported by metal rails straddling sides of the shaft and allowing for efficient removal of material in a small space where there is no room for a traditional crane," Pollack said. Crews will start by removing the elevator shaft cover on Elm Street at Wisconsin Avenue. They will dewater the area, and begin work on the gantry shed's foundation, which will provide the base for the crane operation Pollack described.

Elm St. closes for Pepco work in Bethesda (Photos)

Elm Street closed as scheduled Monday, for an eight month Pepco utility relocation project. The work is in preparation for construction of the new south entrance to the Bethesda Metro station (see rendering at bottom). While the section alongside the Apex Building is entirely closed off to cars west of Wisconsin Avenue, you can still drive up to the parking lot, Potbelly and Tropical Smoothie Cafe from Woodmont Avenue.

Rendering of the
South Entrance to the
Bethesda Metro station
(click to enlarge for detail)

Elm St. to close Jan. 23 between Wisconsin and Woodmont Aves. - for 8 months

Even as the Purple Line light rail project hangs in legal limbo, the Maryland Transit Administration and Pepco are moving forward with preparations for construction of a south elevator entrance to the Bethesda Metro station at Elm Street and Wisconsin Avenue. Elm Street will close between Wisconsin and Woodmont Avenues for eight months starting "on or about" January 23, 2017. Part of Elm Street will remain closed throughout the Metro entrance construction (and during Purple Line construction, should the project survive its current court challenge).

During the closure, pedestrians will still be able to use the sidewalks along Elm, but there will be no through traffic. The MTA announcement does not indicate if the closure on the Woodmont side will be above the parking lot and businesses like Potbelly and Tropical Smoothie Cafe, or literally at Woodmont Avenue. If it's the latter, those businesses could be hurt during the closure.

Furthermore, there will be daily lane closures on Wisconsin and Bethesda Avenues during the Pepco project, and night work on Wisconsin. Normal daytime work will take place during business hours. Expect traffic delays and confusion around this block for the next several years.

BETHESDA PURPLE LINE SURPRISES INCLUDE 9-STORY SMOKESTACK AT BETHESDA ROW, LOSS OF SOME ELM ST. PARKING - PURPLE LINE UPDATE

A Montgomery Planning Department memo by Senior Planner David Anspacher provides not only an update on the future Purple Line light rail, but also some little-known effects it will have in the Bethesda Row area.

Earlier, I reported on the noisy nighttime Capital Crescent Trail tunnel work planned for the first half of March.

That is part of the preliminary design phase, which Anspacher says will conclude this summer. At that point, the Federal Transit Administration will accept that report, and issue a Record of Decision. Then there will be a mandatory referral of three projects: the rebuilding of the Capital Crescent Trail, the future Bethesda South Elevators that will access the Red and Purple Lines, and the Purple Line itself.

What's new?

South Entrance

While the long-overdue Bethesda Metro South Entrance elevator project has been much-discussed, this memo also mentions that the current Regal Bethesda 10-side parking lane on Elm Street will be seized for the elevator site.

The high-speed elevators will take pedestrians down to a lobby level for the Purple Line, and to the Metro Red Line mezzanine level. There will also be a stairway from Elm Street down to the Purple Line.

Capital Crescent Trail

The CCT is currently planned to cross Wisconsin Avenue as a glorified crosswalk, a potentially-dangerous situation that has concerned many trail users.

Anspacher says one option is to deny drivers left turns onto Wisconsin from Bethesda Avenue.  However, that idea is opposed by the Town of Chevy Chase and some Bethesda businesses.

MCDOT is preparing a second option, which is simply a "protected" light cycle for trail users at the intersection.

The surprising part of the memo, is that planners have resurrected the idea of a new underground crossing under Wisconsin Avenue. They've asked the Maryland MTA to study the feasibility of such a tunnel - which was declared dead by the County Council last year - in time for its possible inclusion in the 2014 update of the Bethesda Central Business Sector Plan update.

Fan Towers - Bethesda Row "Smokestack"

Here's the big one. Maybe this was discussed in some meeting somewhere, or buried in thick reports, but this is the first I've heard of it:

A 9-story exhaust tower will be erected outside of the current Capital Crescent Trail tunnel entrance at Bethesda Row, in full view from Barnes and Noble, Landmark Bethesda Row Theatre, and Haagen Dazs.

Essentially a smokestack, it will only emit smoke during a smoke emergency within the tunnel.  But the exhaust fans within the smokestack will have to be tested once a month, and are required by federal law.

A second smokestack will be at the Air Rights Building garage.

Planners clearly anticipate community displeasure regarding the smokestacks.

They are pleading with the MTA to find an alternative location, or to design "an iconic treatment that makes it a landmark in Bethesda." Good luck with that, man.

The only real hope of hiding the tower, in my opinion, is to incorporate it into the new Woodmont East development.

Elm Street Park

While Elm Street Park is not expected to be impacted physically by Purple Line construction, the MTA will erect screening to block the view of construction from park patrons.