The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has granted Maryland a much-needed victory in its effort to build the $5.6 billion Purple Line light rail system, issuing an emergency stay that could allow construction to begin while lawsuits against the project are resolved.
The three-judge panel wrote on July 19 that Maryland “satisfied the stringent requirements” to reinstate environmental approvals revoked by U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon in August 2016. The project has been on hold since then. Maryland sought the emergency ruling last month.