Local officials responsible for building and funding the Metro Silver Line project to Washington Dulles International Airport and into Loudoun County are under federal pressure to bring costs down to about $3 billion. That’s still about $500 million more than the original $2.5 billion estimate, but about $500 million less than the $3.5 billion projection issued in April.

“Pretty much everyone agrees that the $2.5 billion was unrealistic,” said Fairfax County Chairwoman Sharon Bulova, D-at large, who this week briefed her board on the status of the funding. “If we can reduce our estimate to about $3 billion or less, that’ll be considered a success.”