An agreement has been reached to fund the second phase of the Dulles Metrorail Project, the U.S. Department of Transportation says.

Continue reading

As part of the agreement reached Thursday night, Virginia will contribute $150 million to the second part of the project, which will stretch from Wiehle Avenue in Reston to eastern Loudoun County.

The contribution will make the project eligible for federal funding under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act.

"This project will create thousands of good paying jobs, bolster the economy, and relieve traffic congestion in Northern Virginia," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says.

The department says that the deal will reduce the cost of Phase Two of the project by hundreds of millions of dollars and keep tolls on the Dulles Toll Road affordable.

Any agreement is still subject to approval by the counties involved and airport and transit authority boards.