VIRGINIA’s Department of Rail & Public Transportation announced last month that it had reached an agreement with the Bechtel-led Dulles Transit Partners consortium for construction of the first 18?7?km of the Washington DC Metro extension to Dulles International Airport. DRPT is due to request FTA approval this month for the start of final design, with the aim of beginning construction in spring 2008. Running from near West Falls Church station on the Metrorail Orange Line to Wiehle Avenue in Reston, the first phase is exepcted to cost between $24bn and $2?7bn.The agreement envisages that the 6?4?km segment through Tysons Corner will be built on an elevated alignment, after Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine rejected a local campaign for this section to be redesigned in tunnel.n

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