Montgomery County, Maryland, Council President Gabe Albornoz said Monday that there’s “mostly relief” that there is now a “path forward” in work on the Purple Line project.
Albornoz commented during an online briefing with reporters, in which he explained the full council would be getting an update on the 16-mile light rail line, which will run between Bethesda and New Carrollton.
Work on the project had been stalled during a dispute between a prior subcontractor and the Maryland Department of Transportation over cost overruns.
Now, under a new group, Maryland Transit Solutions, work has resumed on the project, which is slated to be open for passenger service by 2026.
The project, which includes 21 stops along the 16-mile east-west corridor, was first pitched at a price tag of $5.6 billion. The cost has since escalated to a projected $9.3 billion.
Officials with the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Transit Administration, the Purple Line Transit Partners and Maryland Transit Solutions will brief the Montgomery County Council during its afternoon session Tuesday.