What we delivered

  • Led the design of a key new station on the Greater Washington DC Metro

  • Guided the project on the pathway to LEED Transit Stations ‘Gold’ certification

  • Provided multidisciplinary services to achieve a multi-modal hub 

Services used
Bridge design and engineering / Civil engineering / Climate and sustainability consulting / Electrical engineering /

Get in touch with our team

Once the largest railyard on the Eastern seaboard, Potomac Yard in Alexandria, VA, is realizing the benefit of years of community planning for redevelopment of the site and area. In the works for a quarter of a century, the new $370-million Potomac Yard Metrorail Station provides an important link for commuters within the Washington DC metropolitan area. It is also key to catalyzing development of the surrounding areas into a growing urban hub by providing rail access to the larger region.

As lead designer, Arup provided structural, MEP, civil, and geotechnical engineering, as well as information technology and communications, sustainability, and security consulting services. In addition, the team designed all furnishings and the bridge to provide pedestrian and bicycle access over the freight rail corridor and entry to the station pavilion. The station earned LEED Gold level certification under the Building Design and Construction: Transit Stations rating system, making it the first outdoor rail station in North America to receive this achievement.

Alexandria has seen substantial population growth, and new development in the last few decades initiated the new Potomac Yard Metrorail Station to serve two Metrorail lines of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The new, sustainable station, which opened in May 2023, is expected to shift 6,700 daily vehicle trips to transit, reducing road traffic along the Route 1 corridor and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Encouraging density

As an infill station, Potomac Yard Metrorail Station is designed to catalyze urban density in the area with walkable and bikeable access to transit. In addition to providing a commuter conduit to and from the burgeoning area, the new station aims to redevelop Potomac Yard as a walkable, mixed-use community and increase access to regional transportation for residents in the surrounding area. New headquarters for the Institute for Defense Analyses, the National Industries for the Blind, and Amazon, as well as Virginia Tech’s new $1 billion Innovation Campus, are all locating in proximity to the new Metrorail station, along with new retail, residential, and commercial development.

Since the station is bordered on one side by wetlands and on the other by freight rail tracks that separate the station from the adjacent neighborhood, the design’s two entrances at the north and south ends include a pedestrian bridge spanning the rail tracks, providing critical access to the growing urban area. The station is already weaving into the adjacent developing urban fabric. The Arup team oriented the south entrance to be more accessible for the sight-impaired by aligning the south pavilion entrance with the existing crosswalk that abuts a new building for the National Industries for the Blind, across Potomac Avenue from the station.

To further encourage urban infill development and sustainable transit, the station provides protected storage for bikes. It also connects to the adjacent Mount Vernon Trail, a walking and cycling trail that links to a system of over 20 miles throughout Alexandria. Additionally, since Potomac Yard is only one stop from the Reagan Airport on the metrorail line, the new station provides residents with a lower-emissions alternative to driving and will likely ease highway congestion near the airport.

The station serves two Metrorail lines of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Walkway exit to Potomac Yard Station

Sustainable design and construction

In addition to helping to activate sustainable urban density and lower carbon emissions due to road traffic, the new Potomac Yard Metrorail Station achieved LEED Gold certification for Transit Stations, minimizing the project’s environmental impact as an early adopter of the pilot program. To help guide the project on the pathway to this LEED certification, Arup provided guidance for the project’s credits from factors related to site selection, water efficiency, energy, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. In addition, to track construction waste management, a less common practice for infrastructure projects in the US, Arup worked closely with the construction teams to drive a diversion rate of waste hauling from landfill to over 70%.

For LEED credits related to the site and to create a quality experience for travelers, the station design serves to visually connect to and reference the scenic preserved wetlands bordering the length of its east side. Glazing was maximized to provide views of the wetlands into the station, and stone material on the pavilion references the natural elements of the environment. In addition, the WMATA Art in Transit program features biophilic design elements of natural light and movement in the façade artwork.