Purple Line Tunnel Proposed for Plymouth Street, Silver Spring

Part of the plan for the Purple Line light rail line proposed to link Bethesda and New Carrollton is running trains along Wayne Avenue in Silver Spring.

The rail would dip underground into a tunnel, though, at Manchester Place, and then run under Plymouth Street. A station is planned for Manchester Place at Wayne Avenue and Plymouth Street.

To build the tunnel, two apartment buildings with six rental units would need to be acquired, Maryland Transit Administration spokesperson Terry Owens told Patch. No standalone houses would be affected, Owens added.

Ventilation would be required for the Plymouth tunnel and the Manchester Station, but ventilation fans and station equipment would be incorporated into station design. The ventilation vent would be part of the elevator building planned for the east plaza for the station, Owens said.

"The vent shaft has been incorporated into the architecture of the station and is not a standalone building," Owens added.

>>>For a map of planned Purple Line stations and electric substations, see The Washington Post's website.

Submit comments on the Purple Line's Final Environmental Impact Statement by Oct. 21 via the online comment form, by sending an email to FEIS@purplelinemd.com (with "FEIS COMMENT" in the subject line), or by sending written comments to: FEIS Comment, Maryland Transit Administration, Transit Development and Delivery, 100 S. Charles Street, Tower Two, Suite 700, Baltimore, MD 21201.

What do you think of the Purple Line's proposed path along Wayne Avenue and under Plymouth Street? Tell us in the comments.