Dulles Rail Project Appears to be Losing Steam

Federal officials remain skeptical of the plan to extend Metrorail to Dulles International Airport and might reject it, even though their consultants recently found that the proposal meets requirements for full funding. That from government and project sources according to an article in today's Washington Post.

In the story by Amy Gardner, the Post says officials with the Federal Transit Administration say they are concerned about the price tag and the specter of another Big Dig, the Boston project built by the same contractor in charge of the Dulles rail line, which took years longer and cost millions more than planned, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the negotiations are sensitive. In addition, the agency has been reluctant to promote large-scale transit projects.

The Post adds that numerous sources close to the project -- in congressional offices, the airports authority and state government -- say their optimism soured in recent days as they began hearing from the FTA and Transportation Department officials.