By Dominic Welling
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has agreed to build an underground metro station at Dulles International Airport, despite it costing $330 million more than the alternative option.
The authority had to choose between building the metro station underground and building it above ground and opposite the main terminal.
If it was located above ground it was expected to cost $582 million to build, however this cost increased to $912 million if it were to be located underground.
Phase Two of the Metrorail line will run through the Dulles Corridor from Wiehle Avenue to Route 772 in Loudoun County. It will have six stations, five parking garages and a maintenance yard on airport property.
The original plan for Phase Two of the rail project, which was designed in 2005, was going to cost approximately $3,83 billion in total to construct.
As a result, the Airport Authority asked for further studies to be conducted and more alternatives to be considered for the location of Dulles Airport station in an attempt to reduce the overall cost.
After consideration the cost of the project has been slimed down and now it is projected to cost $3.5bn - a saving of $330 million.
The advantage to having the station underground means it will be closer to the main terminal, at about 550ft, whereas the overground station would have been 1,150ft away.
Mame Reiley, chair of the Dulles Corridor Committee, said: "This has been a very difficult decision for the Board as we tried to balance cost considerations with the goal to design an airport station that will serve the region's travelers and airport employees well into the future. We think this option best achieves that goal."
However, Washington, D.C. congressman Frank Wolf, said: "This is bad decision. MWAA had a chance to cut more than $600 million from the project and chose not to. I am disappointed and share the concerns of state and the local partners. Everything possible needs to be done to keep costs down on this project."
Phase One of the project, with a cost of $2.7 billion, is well underway and is scheduled to be completed in 2013.
