WASHINGTON — The troubleshooting continues at the problem-plagued Silver Spring Transit Center.
The facility’s completion, already way behind schedule, could slip into early next year.
Disagreement remains over whether the center’s interior concrete beams must be reinforced against torsion, or twisting, from the weight of heavy buses.
“If the stress and torsion issues with the beams do not have to be addressed, we’re looking at some time in the fall. If those have to be addressed, we’re looking at some time towards the beginning of next year,” says Montgomery County Council Chairman Craig Rice.
Cost estimates for the facility have grown from $26 million to $120 million.
“Our taxpayers that wonder, ‘Is this going to cost some additional money?,’ the commitment from the county executive in saying ‘This is not going to cost additional dollars’ … is really important as well,” Rice says.
He adds that it’s important to resolve all questions about quality and safety in the construction of the transit center.
“What we want to do is to make sure that we open a safe facility,” Rice says.
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