The Federal Transit Administration plans to commission an independent study of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project on top of its standard review, opening the mammoth rail extension to further uncertainty as it seeks to qualify for crucial federal funds.
The FTA announced the additional layer of scrutiny shortly after state officials unveiled an agreement with contractors on Friday to design and build the first phase of the rail line.
The initial half of the 23-mile project could cost as much as $2.7 billion under the agreement, $900 million of which would come from the federal government.
But that funding is far from certain, FTA officials have repeatedly warned.
The Metrorail extension is ranked poorly in the agency’s standards for ridership and cost that govern which transportation projects it can pay for. It also has been plagued by delays and escalations in its price tag.
The FTA’s study would analyze the entirety of the state’s proposal on cost and schedule and would include a look at whether key components are included in the state’s proposal, FTA spokesman Wes Irvin said.
He said extra review is warranted by uncertainties and the added complexities associated with the project.
The state was months late in completing contract negotiations for the rail’s first phase, and on Friday unveiled a price tag that could vary by $300 million.
Other factors, Irvin said, also led the agency to seek an outside study.
It is the first “design-build” project of its type to be included in the FTA’s New Starts funding program, he said.
And were it not for an exemption granted in a federal transportation bill passed in 2005, the project’s low rating would have prevented it from moving forward to qualify for federal dollars.
The announcement further demonstrates that Dulles rail, while it reached a major milestone last week, is farfrom a reality.
State officials nevertheless have expressed optimism that the project will meet the FTA’s standards.
“It’s one of the largest transit projects vying for funds,” project spokeswoman Marcia McAllister said. “Because of that, we welcome any additional scrutiny the FTA wants to put the project through.”
