FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ceremony Celebrates Signing and Raising of Beam
RIVERDALE, MD (July 30, 2019) – Less than two years after Governor Larry Hogan broke ground on the Purple Line project, the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) and concessionaire Purple Line Transit Partners held a topping-out ceremony today, completing framework of the 170,000-square-foot Operations and Maintenance Facility (OMF).
“This is a key milestone for the Purple Line,” said Charles Lattuca, MDOT MTA Executive Director of Transit Development and Delivery. “The OMF facility is a critical component of the Purple Line, and the final beam placement visibly demonstrates the project’s continued progress.”
The OMF, located off Veterans Highway in the Glenridge community, will support regular maintenance of rail cars, including vehicle washing and repair and re-fabrication of running gear and electronic train control systems. The facility will house the Purple Line Operations Control Center, which will have state-of-the-art train control and monitoring systems. When operational, the OMF will house more than 200 workers.
At the celebration, the final construction beam was signed by project officials and members of the construction team. It was placed into position atop the facility after the ceremony.
Governor Hogan broke ground on the OMF on August 28, 2017. Since then, Purple Line Transit Constructors has completed 15 percent of the project.
The Purple Line is a light rail system that will extend from Bethesda in Montgomery County to New Carrollton in Prince George’s County. It will provide a direct connection to the Metrorail Red, Green and Orange lines at Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park and New Carrollton. The Purple Line also will connect to MARC, Amtrak, and local bus services.
MDOT MTA is one of the largest multi-modal transit systems in the United States. In addition to developing the Purple Line, MDOT MTA operates LocalLink and commuter buses, Light RailLink, Metro SubwayLink, MARC Train service and a comprehensive Mobility paratransit system. MDOT MTA’s goal is to provide safe, efficient and reliable transit across Maryland with world-class customer service. To learn more, visit mdot.maryland.gov, mta.maryland.gov, or purplelinemd.com/en/.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Gary Witherspoon
Office: 240-825-4629
Cell: 443-801-4318
Brittany Marshall
Office: 410-767-8367
Cell: 443-970-0424
[email protected]
