There was a time… photo by Tim Brown
From WMATA:
“Escalator replacement project at Navy Yard to close Half Street entrance until March 2026
The station will remain open with access via the New Jersey Ave. entrance
Plan ahead for trips to and from Navy Yard this fall and winter. Beginning Monday, Sept. 29,
after the conclusion of the Washington Nationals baseball season, the Navy Yard west entrance on Half Street SE will close for several months for the installation of new escalators. The west entrance elevator will also be unavailable for the duration of the escalator replacement work, however the east entrance elevator on New Jersey Ave. SE remains available.
During the entrance closure, crews will replace the two mezzanine escalators and the three west entrance escalators simultaneously. Metro’s escalators are custom built to fit each location. Heavy equipment and cranes are needed to remove the old infrastructure and bring in new parts.
“Navy Yard is one of our busiest stations during baseball season, with escalators moving thousands of fans over a short period of time,” said Metro Executive Vice President and Chief Infrastructure Officer Theresa Impastato. “By closing the Half Street entrance and replacing all the escalators at once, we can finish the work faster, minimize strain on the remaining equipment, and offer a better experience for our customers.”
The west entrance is expected to be closed until March 2026, with the entrance reopening in time for the start of the 2026 baseball season. Metro previously completed the replacement of all four east entrance escalators.
As of September, Metro has replaced 122 of 145 escalators as part of its multi-year project. The following escalators have been replaced this year: Dupont Circle south entrance, Vienna, L’Enfant Plaza east entrance, Franconia-Springfield, Pentagon, Medical Center, Crystal City, and Navy Yard east entrance. Stations scheduled for escalator replacement in 2025 include Rosslyn, Gallery Place, L’Enfant Plaza west entrance, and Foggy Bottom.”