Purple Line Progress

 

It's been a few months, so it is time for an update on the purple line.  Officially the route is over 92% complete and on schedule for a late 2027 opening. Last update is here. The status of the Spring Street Bridge as of early last year is here. I think it is really useful to compare photos over time. One of the big recent changes has been the installation of the overhead power wires.

 Here is Bonifant Street right outside of Kefa Cafe. The road is still difficult to navigate, like it has been for the past several years.

Wayne Avenue is much improved, but traffic lanes are still mixed up, with only one lane in each direction available.

One side of the Silver Spring Library station, with the library on the right.

 

Shall I make you guess where this is or should I just tell you?  

It is the much delayed Spring Street Bridge. Still closed but much improved.

 

Another look at the Spring Street bridge, this time from below. It looks almost done, doesn't it.  I don't want to get my hopes up, but maybe? 

 From the Jone's Mill Road overpass looking towards Bethesda.

From the Jone's Mill Road overpass looking towards Silver Spring.

All photos taken September 6, 2026.

 

Purple line construction update, Silver Spring

 

Wayne Avenue at Fenton Street

The intersection of Wayne Avenue and Fenton Street is closed in all directions for construction of the Purple Line light rail.  Here are the barricades across Wayne Ave. 

Dug up Wayne and Fenton

This is what the intersection of Wayne Avenue and Fenton Street looks like right now. There road has been torn up where they are putting in the light rail tracks. 

Tracks to the Silver Spring Library Station

The light rail tracks curve away from Bonifant Street and go towards the library.  The tracks are fully installed, but the rest of the road needs work. 

Tracks on Bonifant Street

The light rail tracks on Bonifant Street where they curve towards the library. 

Crossing Georgia

Here is where the Purple Line light rail tracks cross Georgia Avenue. They are fully installed in the street, but the other side of the road still needs tracks. 

Spring Street bridge replacement

I went to see how the Spring Street bridge replacement is going.  This bridge is being replaced so that the Purple Line light rail can go under Spring St.

Where the bridge was (Feb 2025)

All that is left of the old bridge is a few concrete columns sticking up into the air.  On the right, you can see new columns being built that wil support the future bridge. This is on the east side of the bridge, the railroad tracks are closest to the camera and the metro tracks are on the other side.

The bridge in August 2024

This is how things looked last August.  Frankly, it doesn't look too different.  Those same 3 columns are poking up between the metro tracks and the train tracks.  On the far side you can see there is a full row of supports that have since been removed.  This photo was taken from the west side, so here the metro tracks are closest to the camera and the railroad tracks are on the other side.

The approach to the bridge (February 2025)

This is the eastern approach to the Spring Street bridge. There is construction material staged along the left side and a larch crane is at the top.

 

The approach to the bridge (August 2024)

Here is the same section of Spring Street last August. Notice the difference?  The crane visible in the distance is on the far side of the bridge and there is nothing staged in the road.

A wider shot

Here's another shot of the bridge construction.  A metro train happened to come along right as I was taking the photo.

Town Square Garage changing how you pay

 On or about July 31, 2023 (so the end of next month) they are switching payment systems in Garage 61. This is the Town Square Garage next to the Silver Spring Civic Building and Ellsworth Drive.  Instead of paying when you return to your car, you will have to pay in advance for how long you think you will be there.  I have mixed feelings on this. On one hand, I really like paying when I leave so I pay exactly the right amount. I also really don't like the pay-by-plate system, it is too slow. I much prefer pay by parking spot number. On the other hand, I have long found it odd that there are so many different payment systems in different garages throughout Montgomery County

According to the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT):

 On or about July 31, 2023, Garage 61 will be converted to a pay-by-plate facility. Click here to learn more about the payment system. Mobile payment will be available following the conversion through Parkmobile and Passport. To use mobile payment, enter the seven digit zone number (3610001), enter your license plate, choose your duration and begin the session. Card Access will be replaced by PCS Permits.

 

Old and new payment machines

 

The old payment machines are still active until the end of July, the one on the left accepts credit cards and cash (exact change only), the one on the right only accepts credit cards.  The two new machines are already installed but are covered up.

Also worth noting is that in both Silver Spring and Bethesda you will have to pay to park on Saturdays starting from July 8.  MCDOT says "On or about July 8, 2023, Saturday payment will be required.  Rates and hours requiring payment will be the same as the rest of the week."

A streetlight in a precarious position

 

This streetlight is leaning heavily and looks like a strong gust of wind could knock it over.  I saw this on Plum Orchard Drive in Calverton.  Back in 2016 there was a spate of falling streetlights on Plum Orchard Dr between Broadbirch Dr and Cherry Hill Rd. Those got fixed as part of the Adventist Healthcare White Oak Medical Center development. 

This little stub of Plum Orchard was ignored however, and the streetlights are really looking worse for the wear.  I really thing if someone leaned against this pole it would fall over.  It is also worth noting that the access panel looks to be held on with electrical tape.

When I took these pictures on Thursday, there was a van from an electrical company parked near one of the street  lights so it is possible these will be fixed soon. It is also possible that they will just fall to the ground before they get fixed.  I'll update as more information becomes available.

Purple Line Construction

It looks like construction of the purple line is pausing due to the state and Purple Line Transit Partners feuding over cost overruns and delays.  Because of that, it is likely that views such as these will be a part of our lives for quite some time.

These are the bridges that will carry the Purple Line (left) and the Capital Crescent Trail (right) over Colesville Road.

Intersecting girders

Watch for falling streetlights

 Several times now I have gone down Plum Orchard Drive (behind the shopping center with the Target, Babies R Us, and Shop-Rite in Calverton, MD) and seen a fallen street light.  At first I assumed that someone had run into them, but I got a close look at a recently fallen one.

You can see the base of the pole just rusted through and the whole thing fell over.  Along the street you can see that some have been replaced, but some are very old and rusty, I expect more will fall in the future.

Flood damage on Colesville road at the Northwest Branch

On Wednesday there was some very heavy rain and the Northwest Branch flooded Colesville road, closing it for almost two days. When the floodwaters subsided there were debris and silt piled up and part of the sidewalk was washed away. These pictures were taken on Friday at lunch, approximately 24 hours after the road re-opened.

A big pile of sand has been cleared from the road and piled up.  Behind that you can see a fence that has washed up against the road. The leftmost lane of southbound MD-29 was still closed.

Part of the sidewalk washed away exposing a number of formerly buried cables.  They have already started marking the cables for repair. They have been quick to start fixing things, you can't see it in this picture, but they have already smoothed out the washed away section.  The rightmost lane of MD-29 North was still closed, causing a significant traffic back up even in the middle of the day.

The northwest branch from the bridge looking downstream.  The water level isn't back to normal but it is much lower than during the flood.

You can see a pile of dead wood just on the other side of the guardrail.  I suspect it was cleared off the road and dumped there

A large pile of sand that was cleared from the road.  You can see the washed out sidewalk just beyond it.

Power problems again

Storms, power outages, dark intersections, power lines down across the metro rail tracks, it certainly has been an eventful week here in Silver Spring, MD.

Just when you thought it was safe to move through Silver Spring.... No, it isn't shark week (that's next week, but Chompie has been keeping an eye on things). Today's thunderstorm brought a few more power outages and sent another batch of traffic signals dark. The police had a handle on things here at Colesville Road and East-West Highway this evening. More troubling was how some power lines along Spring Street fell across the metro tracks and a train drove partway over them. No one was hurt but 41 people were stuck on the train. Above them, along Spring St, the police had closed the road, the fire trucks were there, and Pepco was trying to fix things.

Transit center construction fire

Today around 5:30pm there was a very smoky fire at the transit center construction site next to Silver Spring Metro Station. The fire department was quickly on the scene and put it out. A couple of ambulances showed up, one left with its lights and sirens on, I saw them loading an empty stretcher back onto the other one so it looks to me like there was a single injury.

Have a blast in Silver Spring

Proof that the Silver Spring Transit Center is progressing: Beginning Monday, February 22 (weather permitting) and continuing for 4 to 6 weeks there will be blasting. This blasting will generally start around 11am and continue through nap time (2pm).

Those in the immediate vicinity of the site may hear a 30-second air horn five minutes before a blast occurs, and then three short horn tones five seconds before the blast explosion. Within about a minute of the blast, a 15-second all clear horn will blow once the Master Blaster verifies the completeness of the blast.

What a great job title "Master Blaster". You can read the full press release.

Traffic and Lane control

Oh Traffic, we love you so. I've never really realized how many of the lane control red X's there are. I took this in the morning rush hour looking northbound on Georgia Avenue (MD-97) so the reversible lanes are going in the opposite direction. This little bit of Silver Spring, MD looks a bit more New Jersey than the rest of the area.