Feds approve first phase of Dulles Rail project

DULLES, Va. - A major hurdle has been cleared for the long-planned Metrorail expansion to Dulles International Airport.

The Federal Transit Administration has approved the first phase of the $5.2 billion project, essentially reversing the agency's warning earlier this year that the project might be killed.

A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.)'s office tells WTOP that the only step left is for U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters and the Office of Management and Budget to sign off on the project.

"This is a critical step for transit in this region," Metro spokesperson Lisa Farbstein says. "Obviously, transit is the wave of the future in terms of moving people in this area. This is one of the most congested areas of the country, and as this project goes forward it will make great strides to making sure that that congestion doesn't get much worse."

The 23-mile expansion, which will be called the Silver Line, would be built in two stages. The first phase will run from Falls Church to Wiehle Avenue. The second phase will stretch out to Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County.

Four stops are planned for Tysons Corner, and the Metrorail project is seen as key in transforming that community from scattered cluster of office space and parking lots, to a smart-growth, liveable, walkable, urban community.

U.S. Department of Transportation spokesperson Sarah Echols tells WTOP, "the Department is continuing to review this complex project to ensure it meets all statutory requirements and additional conditions agreed to by the project sponsors."

Supporters have called the Dulles rail project crucial to the region's economy.

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