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Pentagon |
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The
Need A Congressional mandate to upgrade the security of the Pentagon's existing Metro Entrance is the driving force behind the Metro Entrance Facility project. The Pentagon Metro Station is the most highly trafficked Metro stop in Northern Virginia with over 34,000 riders daily.
The Metro Entrance Facility project will improve the security of the Pentagon's Metro Entrance by reorganizing Pentagon arrival, access and circulation areas to create a safer environment. Every effort will be made to minimize the physical impact on transit users that changes to the facility may require. The construction will be phased and synchronized in such a way as to maintain transportation functions and access.
In order to improve the security of the Pentagon Metro Entrance, the Pentagon Renovation Program will remove the escalators and elevators connected to the Pentagon from the Metrorail platform and relocate all vehicle traffic away from the building. A new building will be constructed adjacent to the face of the Pentagon to allow for the screening of visitors prior to entering the Pentagon. This new building will house the Pentagon tour and badge offices. To organize Pentagon arrival, a more controllable ingress/egress procedure will be established for employees, visitors and public transportation users. Inside the Pentagon, all pedestrian traffic will be elevated to the second floor. To minimize the physical impact of changes made during construction to the Metro Entrance Facility, the Pentagon Renovation Program will strive to exceed requirements established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and will coordinate with representatives from the disablility community to ensure that access needs are met. All construction will be sequenced to ensure continuous operation of Metro facilities.
Improvements to the Pentagon Metro Entrance Facility include two new elevators from the lower bus facility to the upper bus facility to provide pedestrian and bus traffic with their own pathways, two new elevators from the Metrorail platform to the surface level, ADA compliant ramps, and stairwells and walkways designed for maximum user capacity at peak travel times. Covered walkways and platforms will shelter pedestrians from the platforms. Windscreens will be added to increase passenger comfort. Closed-circuit television monitoring throughout the facility will greatly improve safety and security. Emergency call stations and increased lighting will also enhance the safety of the facility. New signage, new benches, a new ticket sales booth will all serve to improve the comfort, convenience and accessibility of the Pentagon Metro Entrance Facility.
The contract was awarded September 25, 2000 to Hensel Phelps Construction Co., for the design and construction of a new Pentagon Metro Entrance Facility. Design and construction of the new bus facility began in Spring 2001. The bus facility is expected to be complete and operational in December 2001. The new entrance building adjacent to the Pentagon will be completed in Fall 2002.
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