On a 10-3 vote, Minneapolis City Council was the final local government partner to give consent municipal consent to a revised design and budget for the Southwest LRT project on September 25th, which will extend the Green Line from Target Field to Eden Prairie. The $1.774 billion project will be the state’s most expensive public works project to date. The LRT alignment will include 16 new stations and approximately 14.5-miles of double track, as well as 33 bridges and two tunnels. The project has completed approximately 60% of engineering and design work and expects to complete its environmental review in mid-2016. Pre-construction work and utility relocation will begin in 2016, and heavy construction will be underway from 2017 through 2019. The line is scheduled to begin passenger service in 2020.
The Metropolitan Council (Council) will be the grantee of federal funds. The regional government agency is charged with building the line in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Funding is provided by the Federal Transit Administration, Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB), the State of Minnesota and the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA)
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