Bethesda Metro Bus Bay Could Close for Two Years

Renovations to a private parking garage will prompt the temporary closure of the bus bay at the Bethesda Metro station this year.

Brookfield Properties, the owners of 3 Bethesda Metro Center, have submitted a traffic mitigation plan for the project, which will renovate the garage they own beneath the bus bay.

The project could prompt the closure of the bus bay for 24 months, but the exact length of the closure isn't known, said Ken Hartman, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center director.

Construction on the garage will likely launch in the second quarter of this year, Hartman said.

Bus stops will need to be re-located when the bus bay closes.

"It could be a major hassle for at least two years," Hartman said Friday at a meeting of the Woodmont Triangle Action Group.

County officials are thoroughly reviewing the traffic mitigation plan, Hartman said.