Huntington escalator scheduled to be working again Tuesday after major repairs

October 23, 2017 Transportation

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Update 10/25: Work continues on the escalator and Metro now says it will be back in operation on Friday. 

A major repair on a long-troubled escalator at the Huntington Metro station is expected to be complete Tuesday, according to the WMATA website.

The escalator, which connects the mezzanine to the platform on the North Kings Highway, has been out of service since Oct. 13. In the past 30 days, the escalator has been stopped for repairs or inspections at least 12 times, according to dcmetrometrics.com.

The current repair is more extensive than others in past months, and involved removing all of the escalator’s steps as well as many other parts. 

“The escalator is out of service for scheduled repairs (replacing and adjusting the gears and sprockets),” WMATA spokesman Richard Jordan said in an email.

The escalator is one of three on the North Kings Highway side, but the only full-width model. It has been plagued with breaks for a number of years, and is due for a complete overhaul. However there’s no timeframe yet for when that will happen. 

When it is out of service, it can lead to long lines to exit the platform during rush hour since all riders are forced to use one of the single-width escalators. If a person stands on the escalator rather than walk, there is no way for other riders to go around them. 

Compounding the issue, both of the single-width escalators were moving in the same direction for a period at least twice last week.