Virginia Governor Vetoes Tunnel Option for D.C. Metrorail Extension
Plans to route a proposed extension of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area Transit Authority rail line through a tunnel in Tysons Corner, Va., have collapsed under political pressure. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine announced Sept. 6 that the state will move forward with an existing aerial alignment instead of a tunnel option for the Tysons Corner segment of the Dulles corridor Metrorail project � a 23-mi., $4-billion plan that would extend metro service from Falls Church, Va., to Dulles International Airport.
The decision came nearly five weeks after a review panel of engineers touted the benefits of a 0.4-mi. tunnel through the congested Tysons Corner area. After a Sept. 6 meeting with Federal Transit Administration chief James Simpson and several Virginia representatives on Capitol Hill, Kaine announced that the tunnel alternative presented too many risks.