Virginia state and local officials are refusing to pay the extra costs associated with construction of the Dulles Rail project because of a disagreement over where to build the Metro train station at Washington Dulles International Airport. The organization responsible for building the multibillion-dollar project, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, voted last week to build the station underground, closer to the terminal, for a price tag $300 million more than that of an aboveground station with a slightly longer walk.
The airports authority defied the state and local officials who have to pay for much of the project, including the station — the state Department of Transportation and Fairfax and Loudoun counties. Now, the three have banded together to muscle the authority into reconsidering.
“To state our position very clearly, we cannot and will not fund the additional cost of the tunnel alternative in Dulles Airport when an alternative, which is much less expensive and can be constructed with less risk and in a shorter period of time, exists,” said a letter to authority Chairman Charles Snelling. It was sent by Fairfax County Chairman Sharon Bulova, Loudoun Chairman Scott York and Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton.
The letter also demanded that the airports authority make decisions with state and county officials, not independently.
Under the current funding agreement, Fairfax is expected to pay for about 16 percent of the construction. Loudoun would contribute 5 percent, and the airports authority would contribute 4 percent. The rest would be covered by Dulles Toll Road revenue. But even as localities put up money, ultimate building decisions rest with the airports authority — the result of the state’s 2005 decision to hand power over to the authority.
Should counties refuse to pay, the airports authority could still build a rail line to the airport, but without any stops in Fairfax and Loudoun.
“We hope common sense will prevail,” York said.
