WASHINGTON — Georgetown could soon be getting a Metro station. A two-year study commissioned by Metro to address overcrowding on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines presented six options for extended rail service on the lines, which have exceeded capacity limits during peak hours for years, according to Metro.
The study, launched in 2019, identified a preferred Blue line route that would extend the line to National Harbor by way of a second Rosslyn station, a new Potomac River tunnel and a new station at Georgetown.
The study predicts cities and counties along Metro rail lines will add 37% more people and 30% more jobs by 2040, noting that large rail projects can take up to 20 years to complete.
Metro said in its report that the expansion would cost between $20 billion and $25 billion to build and between $175 million and $200 million annually to operate, but of the six options, the National Harbor expansion would create the biggest ridership growth, one of the main goals of the study.
A cost-benefit analysis included in the study shows the Blue line to National Harbor option would add 180,000 new weekday trips and $154.2 million in new annual fare revenue.
Metro board members are expected to meet Thursday to discuss the results of the study, but no final decision has been made.