An ambitious plan to run a light rail line through the heart of Austin cleared a major federal hurdle Friday, nudging the long-delayed project closer to reality\u00a0\u2014 even as big questions linger around the fate of the $7.1 billion initiative.<\/p>\n
The Austin Transit Partnership, which is designing the system as part of Project Connect<\/a>, received a key approval from the Federal Transit Administration: a so-called \u201cRecord of Decision\u201d on the project\u2019s environmental study. The sign-off clears the way for more detailed design work and early preparations along the 9.8-mile rail corridor.\u00a0<\/p>\n The decision<\/a> doesn\u2019t lock in the roughly $4 billion in federal funding ATP is seeking. But it does confirm the project meets federal environmental requirements and gives the agency permission to press ahead, said ATP CEO Greg\u00a0Canally<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe federal government has given us a green light to keep advancing the project into its preconstruction activities,\u201d Canally told the Statesman. ATP expects to select its main contractors in the first few months of the year.<\/p>\n \u201cIt gives us confidence to go ahead and award construction contracts,\u201d Canally said. \u201cThat lets us start getting ready for early construction work, like utilities.\u201d<\/p>\n The primary design-build contract alone is expected to cost upwards of $3 billion, the Statesman has previously reported.<\/p>\n The finalized environmental plan also reflects several recent design changes, including the addition of a fourth downtown station, the location of a new bridge over Lady Bird Lake and fewer impacts to nearby homes than earlier versions of the plan.<\/p>\n