Projects / Tunnel Ventilation Pilot Program

Tunnel Ventilation Pilot Program

Project Scope

The ~$32M project is designed to improve safety on the Red Line in the event of a smoke or fire emergency between Cleveland Park and Woodley Park stations. As the oldest line in the Metrorail system, the Red Line requires ventilation upgrades to ensure that the tunnel meets current National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) safety standards. This pilot project is part of a larger program to improve tunnel safety by upgrading the ventilation system and was developed in response to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) directive to upgrade tunnel ventilation after the 2015 smoke incident at L’Enfant Plaza. This project includes the installation of a new tunnel ventilation system to blow smoke up through existing vent shafts in the event of an emergency. Powerful ventilation fans will be installed on three new platforms over the tracks, which will be located at the base of existing ventilation shafts more than 100 feet below Connecticut Ave. The new platforms will feature dampers that can be opened and closed to channel airflow into a specific tunnel in the event of an emergency. Electrical upgrades at each station will also be installed to support the new ventilation system.

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