Metro Rail Trackbed Construction Work: Detours on Main Street

Metro Rail Trackbed construction work will require parking, driving, and occasional pedestrian detours between Seneca and Chippewa Streets over the next two-weeks. Contractors will be replacing the overhead high-voltage catenary wires between Seneca and Chippewa Streets. Work will begin on Saturday morning, November 2nd on the west side of Main Street at Seneca Street and will progress north towards Chippewa. All driving, parking, and drop-off on the west side of Main will be prohibited from 6am Saturday, November 2nd to Friday, November 8th. Traffic barriers and no parking signs will be posted on Friday evening.

The east side of Main will remain open for driving and parking as usual, however, there may be brief periods of delay when work proceeds through various intersections.  Cross town intersections will be open except for temporary closures as work passes through the intersection. Pedestrians may be asked to briefly wait or cross Main to keep a safe distance from active work. Oakgrove Construction personnel will be on site to direct traffic and maintain pedestrian safety. Court and Lafayette Square will remain detoured for trackbed construction work.

Contractors from Ferguson Electric will remove one catenary wire on Saturday, November 2nd, and a second wire on Sunday, November 3rd. New wires will be installed on Monday, November 4th, which should reduce intersection and pedestrian detours. Contractors will secure catenary connections and expect to complete this task on Friday, November 8th. Crews will be working 16-hour days.

Work will then progress to the east side of Main and be repeated in the same pattern from Saturday, November 9th to Friday November 15th. East side traffic detours will be set up on Friday night, November 8th. All driving, parking, and drop-off on the east side of Main will be prohibited from Saturday, November 9th to Friday, November 15th.

Main Street should generally be open for driving the following week, November 18th to November 22nd. High-lift vehicles will be on site for inspection of the new catenary system and there will be train testing on the new trackbed. Any detours are expected to be temporary at this time. Main Street will be open as usual and NFTA will resume full Metro Rail service on Monday, November 25th.