Work to Fix Metro's Bethesda Tunnel Means Weekend Closures

A perennially leaking tunnel in Bethesda will be fixed in 2016, although some Metro stations will be closed on weekends to allow the work.

The weekend closures will prevent the long-term Red Line shutdown, reports Bethesda Now.

The project will require shutting down the Red Line at the Grosvenor, Medical Center and Bethesda stations for 14 weekends starting in the summer or fall of 2016 so crews can install a precast concrete archway in the crossover tunnel outside the Medical Center station.

The total project will cost $12.2 million.

Leaks have caused insulators in the tunnel to arc, leading to delays and single tracking periods, the news outlet reports.

Metro says fixing arcing insulators costs $3 million to $4 million annually.