Throughout much of this summer, bright orange barricades helped pedestrians navigate Downtown Silver Spring as drivers struggled to get around multiple closed or partially blocked roads. This has caused dramatic drops in business for many store owners.
Purple Line crews have been digging up large chunks of road and then laying rail tracks along Fenton Street as the light rail debut creeps closer. The cars are expected to begin traveling between Bethesda and New Carrollton beginning in December 2027.
Many area businesses are hurting, and some have even closed during the recent construction around the intersection of Wayne Avenue and Fenton Street. Crews are installing light rail tracks, reconstructing sidewalks and completing stormwater drainage and utility crossings.
Work is expected to be completed around Sept. 8, but that can’t come fast enough for Abeba Tsegaye, who sat at one of the tables at Kefa Cafe on Bonifant Street “doing nothing” Wednesday morning.
She and her sister, Lene Tsegaye, have owned the Ethiopian shop since 1996 and have served coffee though the pandemic and on and off during Purple Line construction. But with Bonifant Street being mostly closed to traffic, and construction trucks filling her view, her customers have been few and far between.
“Literally, I don’t want to use the word killing, but it almost killed the business. We are hoping and praying we will survive the next two years” when the Purple Line starts running, Abeba Tsegaye said. “Customers are discouraged. The literally said, ‘We love you guys. We want to support you, but it’s hard.'”
As construction finishes in the Downtown Silver Spring area, the crews will move to Sligo Creek Parkway, south of Wayne Avenue. That area is expected to close to traffic from Sept. 22 for about two months. Pedestrians and cyclists still will be able to use the trail.
Purple Line officials estimate that work is 80% complete. For construction updates, click here.
The Purple Line has entered a new phase of dynamic testing. As the Purple Line moves closer to completion, it will #connectcommunities across the region, making travel easier and more convenient for everyone. https://t.co/8gfsDXoiSx. #PurpleLinePoweredUp pic.twitter.com/b92Q5o2T9r
— Purple Line (@PurpleLineMD) August 28, 2025
