Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority officials began renovations, slated to last for the next five months, on two Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro station escalators last week, according to the WMATA website.

One Foggy Bottom station escalator between the street and mezzanine and another between the mezzanine and platform will continue undergoing modernization efforts over the next five months, according to the WMATA website. The station will remain open as both escalators receive new, more reliable and more energy-efficient motors, according to signage posted at the station. 

All six escalators at the station will be replaced in the next “year or so,” a WMATA spokesperson said in an email.

The Foggy Bottom stop joins six other stations across the WMATA system that are undergoing modernization efforts over the next five months, per WMATA’s website. The escalator between the mezzanine and platform at Foggy Bottom will return to service on April 27, and the escalator between the street and mezzanine will return to service on May 11, the WMATA website states.

Metro officials in 2020 embarked on a $204 million escalator replacement project, aiming to replace 145 escalators throughout the system by 2027, according to a WMATA spokesperson. The new escalator units are 30 percent more energy effective than older units due to newer motors, the spokesperson said, adding that newer units also provide real-time data to Metro officials, allowing them to better monitor performance. 

“Escalators are made up of thousands of moving parts and with heavy use over time, the parts become less reliable despite regular preventive maintenance,” the WMATA spokesperson said in an email. “Escalators are modernized every 20-25 years, which creates a more reliable experience for customers.”