The Tysons tunnel is not coming back, according to state spokesmen who say Virginia officials do not plan to reverse course on a decision to nix the underground Metro route, despite efforts to bring it back.
Tysonstunnel.org, a group organized to convince public officials to resurrect the tunnel, released multimillion-dollar tunnel-engineering documents on Monday in the hopes of changing key minds on last year’s decision.
At stake is the future map of Tysons Corner, which, according to current plans, will include an aerial track. While building the planned Metro extension underneath Tysons was widely favored, Gov. Tim Kaine last year abandoned the more expensive plan after Federal Transit Administration officials warned it would jeopardize $900 million in committed federal funds.
Tysonstunnel.org President Scott Monett said his group sent tunnel plans to about 50 public officials. Kaine spokesman Kevin Hall said the state would review the plans. Hall, however, said the rail will still go above ground, as planned.
“The FTA made it crystal clear to us that any significant design changes or delays most likely would result in the loss of 900 million federal dollars for this project,” he said Tuesday.
“The commonwealth has made its decision on this issue,” Metrorail project spokeswoman Marcia McAllister said. “We expect to have a bid for the construction of the project by the end of February.”
“It appears that the efforts of McLean, Tysons Corner, Vienna and Great Falls are falling on deaf ears everywhere,” replied Monett. He said he is “amazed that a citizen effort of this magnitude, that thousands of people are supporting, is being dismissed out of hand.”
“What is it going to take?” he said. “We’re going to continue escalating this until we’re heard.”
