Arlington and transit officials celebrated the completion of the canopies over the Pentagon City Metro station escalators and the beginning of a more than $12 million improvement project.

The three intersections on South Hayes Street between Army Navy Drive and 15th Street will see traffic signal improvements, better sidewalks and crossings and new bus shelters in the coming years, officials said.

“It is a station that carries 34,000 people a day,” and serves as a backup station when the Pentagon station needs to shut down, said Chris Zimmerman, Arlington County Board chairman.

The station has multiple bus connections and is situated between three shopping malls and several major offices, he said. The area is also seeing a spike in residential growth necessitating the pedestrian improvements.

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“We are constantly implementing transit and other transportation improvements to make [high traffic areas] safer, more convenient and more attractive,” said Blanche Buergler, Arlington’s transit capital projects manager, who added the majority of the improvements will surround the Metro station.

The first project will be opening a pedestrian tunnel from the station to the northeast corner of 12th and South Hayes streets, she said. New bus shelters that mirror the steel and glass design of the escalator canopies will follow, Buergler said.

When the project is fully funded a new Kiss and Ride area, better turning lanes, bike parking and more will be constructed, she said.

The two canopies at the Pentagon City station are the last of five to be built in Arlington, said Candace Smith, a Metro spokeswoman. Only three canopies of 30 still need to be built in Virginia, the District and Maryland, she said.

cgoodman@dcexaminer.com