Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project advances toward construction

San Francisco, United States of America – The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) 2007-03-30 announced the successful negotiation of a $1.6 billion design-build agreement with Dulles Transit Partners, LLC, (DTP) for final design and construction of Phase 1 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. DTP is a limited liability company owned by Bechtel Infrastructure, Inc. and Washington Group International—two of the world’s leading engineering, construction, and project management companies.

The project will provide seamless access to the existing Metrorail system with a one-seat ride to downtown Washington, D.C. The project will help to manage traffic congestion and increase mobility for drivers and transit riders alike. Phase 1 will extend Metrorail service from East Falls Church through Tysons Corner to Wiehle Avenue in Reston, Virginia. Phase 2 will extend service west to Dulles International Airport and Eastern Loudoun County.

DRPT will incorporate the $1.6 billion into its Request to Enter Final Design with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), scheduled for May 2007, with the goal of receiving a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) for Phase 1 in early 2008. The project remains on schedule to begin construction in spring 2008. The estimated total project price for Phase 1 is in the range of $2.4 billion-to-$2.7 billion and is expected to keep the project eligible for $900 million in federal funds by meeting the FTA’s requirements for cost effectiveness.

The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project is a partnership led by DRPT. Project partners include the FTA, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Fairfax County, the Town of Herndon, Loudoun County, the Virginia Department of Transportation, and Dulles Transit Partners, LLC.

“Today’s agreement marks the culmination of more than a decade of planning, environmental review, and engineering work to advance the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, and it brings us closer to our goal of achieving a Full Funding Grant Agreement,” said DRPT Director Matthew Tucker. “We now have a defined project for Phase 1, and we look forward to working with Dulles Transit Partners as we move into final design and construction.”

“Dulles Transit Partners is pleased to have reached this agreement, which will allow construction to begin early next year,” said Roger Picard, project director for Dulles Transit Partners. “It offers the most concrete opportunity in over 40 years to build Metro to Tysons Corner, Dulles Airport, and beyond, and we are proud to be part of a project so crucial to the transportation needs of this area.”

For more information, visit www.dullesmetro.com