Department of General Services

Building Design and Construction

Paul S. Sarbanes Silver Spring
Transit Center

Project Team

Montgomery County Government
Department of General Services

Manager III
Frank Roberts (240) 777-6084

Project Managers
Robert Stout (240) 777-6159
Tim O'Gwin (240) 777-6051

Architect
Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects
Fritz Schellkopf
(202) 380-3058

Project Engineer
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Gerald S. Jannetti
(410) 385-4193

General Contractor
Foulger-Pratt Contracting
John P. Barron, President
(240) 499-9694

Project Description

The proposed Paul S. Sarbanes Silver Spring Transit Center is a three-tiered, urban, multi-modal, state of the art transit facility proposed for downtown Silver Spring.

It will feature;

32 bus bays for WMATA Metrobus, Montgomery County Ride-On, MTA regional commuter bus, Van-Go shuttle, Inter-city Buses, and University of Maryland Shuttle,
Direct access to Metrorail and MARC
54 Kiss & Ride spaces and taxi spaces,
Intelligent Transportation system,
Multi-modal transit store,
Accommodation for future Bi-County Transitway, connections to regional hiker/biker trails and a local trail, and open space replacement and enhancement.

The new facility will replace and significantly increase the capacity, safety and efficiency of a more than thirty year old, aging, surface transit facility in the heart of the newly revitalized downtown Silver Spring, eliminate the existing traffic conflicts, increase pedestrian safety, facilitate multi-modal transfers and provide well-developed bicycle access into the mass transit site.

Planning for this facility has carefully addressed and considered future extensions of mass transit such as the Bi-County Transitway and the District of Columbia/Georgia Avenue Corridor facility as well as the planned regional Metropolitan Branch and Capital Crescent Trails and the Silver Spring Green Trail.

The new Paul S. Sarbanes Silver Spring Transit Center is designed for integrated private transit oriented development. The private transit oriented development, which will be paid for with private funds, is a mixed use project comprised of two residential towers with 450 apartments and condominiums and a 200 room hotel. The private transit oriented development will generate over 4200 additional daily bus and rail trips for a 7% increase in baseline transit ridership at the Transit Center.

The project is being funded through from the Federal Transit Administration (53%), Maryland Mass Transit Administration (11%) and Montgomery County (36%).

Project Progress Update - May 2012

The Interim Operations Site for bus traffic and passenger waiting areas continues to function successfully, as it has since the start of operations in September 2008. To allow for construction activities at the southeast side of the project site, access to the MARC outbound tracks has been relocated to the west side of the tracks via East-West Highway and the south side of Ramsey Avenue has been closed to allow construction of entrances to the Transit Center.

The facility is approximately 95% complete. Ongoing activities at this time are elevator and escalator installation, installation of large glass panels on top of the canopies, installation of electrical and mechanical equipment, lights, signs, landscaping, tree planters and work in the TRiPS Store, Intercity Bus and general office areas. Work continues on the three entrances to the transit center from Colesville Road, Ramsey Avenue and Bonifant Street. The concrete bus road at the 305 level (ground floor) is 85% complete. Small retaining walls and landscaping curbs have been constructed along the Metropolitan Branch Trail and the trail is being paved. The adjacent contractor has paved the future extension of Ripley Street. A new sidewalk and street lights along Colesville Road has been constructed. Granite pavers are being installed in the Metro Plaza..

The County has determined that the concrete slab thickness for the middle and top level elevated slabs fall outside the allowable construction tolerances for thickness. Approximately 37% (as determined through examination of the drive aisle areas on the 330 and 350 level decks) of the elevated deck area is in compliance, while 42% exceeds the allowable thickness and 21% is less than the allowable thickness. Analyses to determine the impacts of the non-compliant work are ongoing. In addition, in some areas of insufficient thickness, the concrete coverage of the reinforcing bars and post tension cables is less than the allowable. A letter outlining the deficiency has been issued by the County's Contract Administrator. The General Contractor submitted a plan for corrective action on March 15, 2012 but it omitted structural data. A resubmission was submitted on April 6th and a technical briefing was held on April 11th. The issues are being reviewed. The final completion date is indeterminate at this time.

Funding

Paul S. Sarbanes Silver Spring Transit Center - No. 509974

Transit Information

Please visit here for information regarding Transit services during construction of the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center.

Current Construction Images
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Panoramic view of the construction site

Aerial view from Colesville Road looking south. (Picture by Bruce Lee)

This overall view of the site faces north. AMA is working on seatwalls in the green roof area, on the left side of the photo.	This photo shows progress made at the south end of the project, where the green roof and the new roadway, Rippifont, will be constructed.

AMA continues slab on grade (SOG) work at the 305 Level.	TThis photo shows canopy and glazing installation at Canopy 3, on the 330 Level near the train tracks and the MBT Trail.

Imperial Stone Paving is making good progress in the plaza area, adjacent to the WMATA entrance, installing brick and granite paving stones in a complex curvilinear pattern.	Ross and Freestate are working along Colesville Road to relocate existing utilities, install light poles, conduit and drainage structures.

Ross and Freestate are working along Colesville Road to relocate existing utilities, install light poles, conduit and drainage structures.	This photo presents the south portion of the central open space. Stair 3 is in the foreground, and escalator 5 is at the upper left. Note the granite stair treads and stainless steel handrail.

This photo showcases the north end of the central open space, where work on stair 2 and escalators 3 and 4 is nearly complete. Note the granite stair treads and stainless steel handrail.

This view, facing north, shows that all of the structural steel for Canopy 4 (top level) is complete, and both elevator towers are completely enclosed.	This view faces northwest. The large trusses for vertical egress enclosures (escalators 1 and 2 and stair 1) are in place, at top center of photo, and the framing for the exhaust vent is complete, at lower left.

This photo shows the south end of the project. A temporary sidewalk was installed near the south end of the project to access the MARC train platform during the past month.	This photo, taken inside the building at the 305 level, shows the three large ventilation ducts that will remove exhaust fumes from the facility.

This photo, shot facing south on the 330 level, shows that work is almost complete in this area. Signs and lighting for the facility are installed on the wall, left of center.	Ross has finished installing pipe and drainage structures at the 305 Level of the building, and AMA has Started placing concrete curb and sidewalk. Roadway construction will begin soon.

The glass and steel panel finishes subcontractor, GPR, is installing the final grey “skin” on the short sides of the elevator shafts. Glass will cover the two long sides of each shaft.	The HVAC contractor is installing the three large vane axial fans that will ventilate the lower two floors (Levels 305 and 330).

View of the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT). It runs between the Transit Center and the WMATA/ MARC train tracks.	Finishing sidewalk on the 330 Level. The Contractor, AMA, is preparing to saw joints in the hardened concrete.

Final concrete work on the last deep storm drain manhole (MH 10) will finish during the next several weeks. That will be a big relief!!! It’s sad that the public will not see and appreciate the vast network of subterranean pipes and chambers holding water on site. Managing stormwater reduces flooding and the expense of building storm drain infrastructure downstream.	AMA is working on curbs at Level 305, and will follow this with sidewalk in short order.

Concrete block work is almost finished at the middle (Level 330) offices and waiting room area, and the contractor is installing ductwork in the “conditioned” spaces. This area will contain the waiting room for the Intercity bus operations and the County’s TRiPS store operation, both of which will be located at the new Silver Spring Transit Center (SSTC).

This view, facing north, shows that all of the structural steel for Canopy 4 (top level) is complete, and both elevator towers are completely enclosed.	This view, facing northeast, shows all of the building except the northwest end. The tower for elevators 3 and 4 is in the center of the photo, and the large trusses for the enclosure at stair 1 are in place at the lower left.

This photo shows the south end of the project. The room in the center of the photo, at the extreme south end of the building, will house the emergency generator.	This face of one of the two glass elevator towers is almost completely enclosed.

Work proceeds at the lowest (Elev. 305) level of the facility on the decorative concrete block air plenum, drainage pipe and inlets.	Large steel trusses and glass canopies shield the escalator and stairs adjacent to the railroad tracks.

View of the top (Elev. 350) level of the transit center, facing northwest.	The Marc train waiting area and the transit center offices will be constructed in this space.

This photo shows the canopy steel on the middle (Elev. 330) level.	Decorative concrete block work is almost finished on the project. This view shows the block on the lowest level (Level 305).

This view, facing northwest, shows that most of the structural steel for Canopy 4 is in place, and structural steel erection for the two elevator towers is complete.

This view, facing west, shows that Facchina is still forming and placing wall and slab concrete in the office, equipment room and waiting room areas. The base for the ventilation tower is in the center of the photo.	This photo shows the south end of the project. The room on the left, at the extreme south end of the project, will house the emergency generator.

This view, facing north, shows the structural steel for canopies 3 (330 Level) and 4 (350 Level).	The large stormwater management vault under the 305 Level slab in this area is complete and backfilled.

Overall view of the “Kiss and Ride” top level.

South end of the project, where the underground offices, rest rooms and passenger waiting areas will reside.	Lowering an escalator into position.

Placing one of the five escalators on its bearings.	Ready to place wall and roof deck concrete at one of the deep underground storm water management vaults.

Placing one of the five escalators on its bearings.	Staircase enabling passengers to move between the middle and top levels of the building. The finished steps will be granite.

Installing the first column for the main glass curtain wall and canopy.	One of the elevator towers, viewed from the middle level.

This is one of the two large stormwater management vaults under the 305 Level slab.	Street level view of the building, displaying its low-profile when viewed from the intersection of Wayne and Ramsey streets.

Staircase to move passengers between the lowest and middle levels of the building. The finished steps will be granite.	Superstructure slabs, beams and columns viewed from the lowest level. Escalator to transport passengers between the second and third levels is visible at the upper left.

Facchina prepares to place concrete for superstructure pour 2D, in the top center area of the photo, on January 27.	This photo shows Facchina workers preparing for superstructure pour 1G

Placing superstructure concrete for pour 2D. This was the 11th of 14 large superstructure concrete pours on the project.	Facchina has placed about half the concrete in the forms for superstructure pour 2B. The deck is 10” thick, the girders are 6 feet deep, and they placed 1,200 CY of 8,000 psi concrete that day. The pump is stretching at its limit to place concrete at the far side of the pour.

Placing and finishing superstructure concrete for pour 1D.	View of the scaffolding used to support deck, beam and girder forms that will contain the superstructure concrete.

View of slab forms, epoxy coated rebar and plastic post-tensioning ducts for the superstructure concrete pours.	View of column and superstructure formwork across most of the site.

Placing concrete for superstructure concrete pour.	This photo was taken in the early evening at the end of the largest superstructure concrete pour on the project. The concrete pump is on the right, and the workers are troweling the last area of wet concrete.

View of the ceiling of the facility on the ground level (Level 305). The camera is pointing toward Colesville Road.	View of the ceiling of the facility on the ground level (Level 305). The camera is pointing toward the Metro station. This photo and the previous one were both taken from the same location, near the intersection of Bonifant Street and Ramsey Avenue.

Picture is taken from Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road.

Project Images

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Vicinity Map	Silver Spring Downtown Development
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South View	North West View
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North View	Colesville Entrance
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Ramsey Entrance	Bonifant Entrance
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South East View	South View
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West View	Colesville Road View
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Middle Level Bus Deck	Middle Level Looking Down
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Bike Trails	Metro Branch Trail
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Metro Branch Trail	Aerial Park View
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Park	Upper Park View