Posted on 09/23/2010 9:37:57 PM PDT by george76
The second part of Metrorail's extension from Falls Church to Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County could cost as much as $1.3 billion more than original estimates, which may mean higher rates for people who use the Dulles Toll Road.
The new estimate was provided Wednesday to members of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which is overseeing construction. The first phase is costing $2.75 billion, the authority said. Early estimates had placed costs of the second phase in the same range. The new price range increases the cost by at least $690 million and potentially twice as much.
The plan to extend Metro's rail service deep into Northern Virginia was first developed in 2002 by state and airports officials...The second phase of the project, covering 11 1/2 miles and six stations, does not have federal funding. It is expected to be completed by December 2016. Toll road funds are expected to cover nearly 53 percent of the entire project's costs.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Unexpected, no doubt.
$3.5 - 4 b, and all you get is 11 1/2 measly miles of track?
Your tax dollars at work.
Much of new burden falls on car drivers who are not using the train.
$4B apparently doesn’t go as far as it used to these days!!
I hope somebody in Hawaii’s government sees this. And if it supposedly costs that much extra in DC, you can bet it will be double what they claim and you can probably bet on a factor of 10 here on Oahu.
Well that’s never happened before.
Union Yes, eh?
As one who utilizes cars, trucks, motorhomes, motorcycles, bicycles, airplanes, trains, subways, and ferries...I’m glad to see several forms of transportation share the load.
They have to dig large holes under high-density areas that include Tyson's Corner. Presumably they are trying to avoid having any large buildings fall down in the process.
IBWG.
WHAT load?
They will be convinced they won’t run into that problem,it is like any other government agency who sees another part of the government messing something up.
It just won’t happen to them.
So that's $4.1 billion for the second phase ($2.75 billion plus 2 x $690 million).
The second phase of the project, covering 11 1/2 miles and six stations
So that's about $360 million PER MILE. Yeah, that's a good use of funds!
I wonder what Willie Green would say? The last light rail system built in the US - Seattle's Link - was $180 million per mile. Now this is at $360 million per mile. And Willie wants to deploy tens of thousands of miles of high speed rail lines in the US? A network of 20,000 miles (2 transcontinental lines and a half-dozen N/S and long spurs) would cost $3.6 to $7.2 TRILLION. Just for the lines.
Hey Willie, those numbers sound about right?
The load of people and products moving around any given area via ground, air, and water.
about $360 million PER MILE. Yeah, that’s a good use of funds!
8-)
They could have done this 25 years ago for far less. They didn’t because Congress was determined to keep National Open. It was their private airport.
Every time I get or do a cost estimate for the government I take what it should cost and multiply it by 2.5 and it usually comes out pretty close.
Most of this project is above ground light rail with a few portions under ground?
I am still trying to visualize this project. It would seem that one of the major difficulties would be crossing the interstates to get to Dulles. Once that was done, however, I don’t see the problem with aboveground transport to Dulles itself.
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