The METRO Orange Line has received approval to enter project development from the Federal Transit Administration, keeping the project on track for a 2019 opening.

“The Orange Line is a critical part of our region’s growing transit network,” Metro Transit General Manager Brian Lamb said. “All-day BRT service on I-35W will help thousands of residents easily connect to jobs, housing and retail centers in Minneapolis, Richfield, Bloomington, Burnsville and beyond, while providing much-needed congestion relief on one of the state's busiest roadways.”

The FTA’s approval to enter project development comes ahead of more advanced design, engineering and environmental work that will continue through 2016. Construction will begin in 2017.

There are now three Twin Cities transitways in this phase: the Green Line Extension (Southwest LRT) and Blue Line Extension (Bottineau LRT) are also in project development. Those light rail lines are set to open in 2019 and 2021, respectively.

A Year of Project Milestones

Continued public engagement has greatly informed station location and routing decisions this year. 2014 project milestones include these items:

• The Orange Line Project Plan Update was developed and adopted, incorporating many community and agency comments,
• Lake Street Station reached 60 percent design,
• The Knox Avenue Alignment was selected in the I-494 area for its significant benefits to existing and future transit riders,
• An additional station was added at 76th Street,
• $18 million of project funding was secured from state, regional, and federal sources, and
• The project was approved to enter the federal Small Starts funding program.

Progress will continue on all station development, including Lake Street final design, Knox Avenue transitway design, downtown access improvements and terminus planning at or near Burnsville Transit Station. All Orange Line engineering is set to begin by the summer of 2015. Work will also begin on environmental documentation later this winter.