The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project quietly rolled past another deadline this month without any official explanation, the latest in a pattern of delays that has marked the estimated $4 billion rail extension.
Officials planned to complete negotiations by the end of February for the first phase of therail, which would run from West Falls Church to Wiehle Avenue. But the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and the commonwealth remain in closed-door talks with two engineering and construction firms — Bechtel and Washington Group International — to take on the project.
“Nobody gives any reason for why these delays are happening,” said Fairfax County Supervisor Linda Smyth, who represents the Providence District.
Though speculation as to the cause of the delay abounds, representatives for MWAA, the governor and the project are not offering reasons.
Details are murky on the state of negotiations, which Virginia’s Public-Private Transportation Act allows to be kept tightly under wraps. MWAA says it has a price proposal in hand from the two firms. The proposal did not, however, come in before the December date officials last year said they expected.
Also last year, the entire project was put on hold while the state studied whether running a tunnel under Tysons Corner was feasible. Gov. Tim Kaine opted in September to run the rail in an elevated track through Tysons, citing warnings from the Federal Transit Administration that cost overruns would risk $900 million in federal funds. Officials have said the delay pushed back the project as much as a year.
After MWAA and contractors reach a negotiated price for the first phase of the rail, the proposal will head to the FTA for approval to enter final design, which will precede a federal agreement to fund the project. Completion of the first phase is slated for 2012, and the entire project for 2015.
