Purple Line Contractor Chosen; Construction to Begin 2016

BETHESDA, MD – After rounds of budget cuts and increased financial support from Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, state officials have selected a firm to build the long-awaited $3.3 billion Purple Line light rail project, which will run from New Carrollton to Bethesda.

Purple Line Transit Partners was tapped to construct the 16.2-mile-long transit system in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

When in operation, the Purple Line will provide a direct connection to the Metrorail Red, Green and Orange Lines at Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park, and New Carrollton. The Purple Line would also connect to MARC, Amtrak, and local bus services. Twenty-one stations are planned.

The Maryland Department of Transportation has met the three criteria needed for final approval of the Purple Line: additional financial support from local governments, reserved federal funding, and aggressive pricing from the successful team, according to a news release.

“After eight months of hard work and tough negotiating, the Maryland Department of Transportation has met all three of the needed requirements and delivered a cost-effective Purple Line with a strong commitment from our federal, county and private partners,” said Gov. Larry Hogan in a statement.

In June, Hogan surprised some supporters by giving the green light for the Purple Line to proceed, but he trimmed the state’s share of the cost from nearly $700 million to $168 million, The Washington Post reported.

The agreement between the state and Purple Line Transit Partners cut the state’s upfront expenditure for the line’s construction to $159.8 million – $8 million less than the $168 million threshold Hogan set. More savings will come from a reduction in the average annual state payments to operate the route, which will be $149 million, versus an earlier estimate of $167 million over 30 years.

Prince George’s and Montgomery counties have pledged a combined $330 million in cash and non-cash contributions for the project. The federal government also has reserved about $900 million for Purple Line funding.

State officials say that with an expected $1.36 billion in fare revenue along with local and federal contributions to the project, the final costs for the state over the 36 years will be about $3.3 billion.

Following Board of Public Works approval in April, the contract should close in early June, the governor’s office said in a release. Construction should begin in late 2016, with the Purple Line operational in spring 2022.