Washington, DC – Metro sections of lines will shut down for year-long subway repair work

Due to years of poor maintenance, Metro will be under an enormous rebuilding effort that will last throughout the year. As a result, there will be an anticipated increase in road traffic. Employers and local governments will  make adjustments for employees to either work from home or change their schedules. General manager at Metro, Paul Wiedefeld said, “We cannot keep trying to Band-Aid over these issues. This is tough medicine. But we have to take it. And the sooner we take it, the better we’re all going to be.” President Obama commented on the Metro stating, “It is just one more example of the under-investments that have been made. The D.C. Metro has historically been a great strength for this region, but over time we have under-invested in maintenance and repairs.”  Public pressure to keep the system running has kept major maintenance repairs from happening. Wiedefeld said, “A word of caution. This does not mean that when we’re done, that the thing’s going to be like a brand-new system. Rather, it will be like a 40-year-old subway that had been properly maintained over the decades. And keeping it that way will require a much-improved maintenance program in the future.”