Bethesda Metro Elevator To Close For Rehabilitation

The entrance elevator at the Bethesda Metro station will be taken out of service beginning in late May as Metro conducts a major rehabilitation.

The elevator, which has not seen a major rehab since the Bethesda station opened in 1984, will be closed for four months during the project, according to Metro.

Metro technicians will replace components of the elevator -- including the cab, motor, and control systems -- ahead of a planned for 2014. at Bethesda.

Also planned to improve rider circulation ahead of the 2014 escalator rehabilitation is the construction of new stairway between the platform and the mezzanine, according to a Metro spokesman Philip Stewart. A "cut out" for a future stairway was included as part of the station's original design, Stewart said.

The stairway project will be included as the Metro board considers the transit system's capital and operating budgets for fiscal year 2013 on May 24, Stewart said.

The $2 million project should take about 11 months, including design, and is expected to be complete before the 2014 escalator rehab, Stewart said.