Metro Workers Tunnel from Reston-Wiehle Station in Amazing New Photos

RESTON, VA — New photos released by the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project show the hard work currently underway near the Reston-Wiehle Metro station as WMATA workers make their push west with future stations scheduled in Herndon and Dulles Airport.

That's part of Phase 2 of the Silver Line project. Some of the toughest work takes place underground where the public doesn't see what's being done, but these photos provide a rare glimpse for us up above.

A total of 1,400 people are currently working on Silver Line Phase 2. Project workers are tunneling underneath the Dulles Toll Road and Greenway to access the future rail line in the median and provide necessary utilities to the rails, according to the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project's December newsletter, released Nov. 28.

"Project workers first began digging by a method called 'jack and bore' using a large piece of equipment that drills horizontally through the earth without disturbing roadways," the report states. "However, that process was not adequate to break through the hard rock along the rail line. For many of the tunnels built roughly every mile along the Dulles Toll Road, CRC resorted to hand mining, an intensive process that requires workers to crawl into the tunnels and break out the rock bit by bit."

That means workers are on their hands and knees conducting the tedious work that will be necessary to bring rail service to the region. Some shifts only make 3 inches of progress.

Once the tunneling is done, utility lines and ducts will be run through it to supply the rail line with power and water. Grout will be poured in to fill the spaces around the ducts.

Images via Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project