Commuters at the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station faced inoperative escalators and floods due to heavy rainfall this summer, but the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said it is working to solve the transportation woes this fall.

This May, WMATA announced that the long-term Red Line rehabilitation project to increase efficiency along the route will begin with a revamp of Foggy Bottom Metro Station in the fall of 2010, which will include installing new escalators and an overhang canopy at the entrance.

The renovations will provide a welcome reprieve for commuters, who often formed lines around the block this summer when all the escalators had outages. Heavy rains also led to roof leaks inside the station on the lower level, creating small waterfalls that poured from the ceiling onto the platform.

“The Foggy Bottom-GWU Metrorail station is one of our busiest Metrorail stations. We recognize the importance of having the entrance escalators working at the Foggy Bottom station,” WMATA Public Information Officer Steven Taubenkibel said.

Taubenkibel also said the work on new escalators and canopy is projected to begin later this fall and should be completed by the late summer or fall of 2011.

Metro also hired an outside consultant to review the Foggy Bottom Metro station to analyze its utilities. The finalized report will be submitted to the Metro Board of Directors Sept. 30.

-Priya Anand