Metro to Begin Escalator Replacement at Pentagon Station

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority will begin a major escalator replacement project next month at Pentagon Station.

On Feb. 4, Metro will begin the project of demolishing the three existing southside escalators — those on the left as people exit the station — and replacing them with "new, more reliable" units, according to a news release.

The work is expected to last until the fall.

Metro customers can continue to use the three northside escalators during construction. The station's elevator will also be available.

The existing escalators rise 42 feet and were installed 18 years ago, according to Metro. Aside from decreased reliability, they are the last in the WMATA system made by a British company that has long since gotten out of the escalator business — making maintenance more difficult.

The replacements are part of WMATA's Metro Forward rebuilding program. They are not part of a contract announced last week to replace 128 additional escalators across the system.