McLEAN, Va. - Plans for an extension to the Metrorail system out past Dulles Airport have cleared a major hurdle, with the Federal Transit Administration finally on board. What now remains for the project is final approval from the transportation secretary and the Office of Management and Budget, approvals that are considered fairly certain.

Gordon Hickey, a spokesman for Gov. Tim Kaine, said the governor was pleased with the FTA's decision but cautioned "it's too early to celebrate."

Optimistic they would get to this point, work crews have been busy for some time now relocating utilities and clearing the way along Route 7. But the reality of the rail extension hasn't always been so clear. The crucial FTA approval came down yesterday, breathing new life into a project that seemed all but dead eleven months ago.

Last January, hopes for some $900 million in federal funding appeared to be slipping away after the federal transit administrator gave the project poor marks, saying, "If you were in school, let's say, we would fund projects that were an A, B or C -- this project is a D or an F, depending on which day you look at it."

Then last summer, a revised plan got things back on track, but the revival came with daunting conditions, including nearly $500 million worth of capital repairs to Metro before it could take over the new 23 mile Silver Line.

But an FTV green light suggests the federal government is on board with the project, which would would continue rail service from the Falls Church Metro station past Dulles Airport.

Supports say it would ease northern Virginia traffic by serving as many as 60,000 riders daily, and Tysons Corner redevelopment advocates say it would help the traffic-choked business center, which receives some 120,000 workers -- and their cars -- every day.

Arlington resident Catherine Morris approves of the project and asserts, "I think it is definitely necessary, especially to get to Dulles Airport. That's a huge deal, that Reagan and BWI (web | news) are accessible by Metro or train." But Sterling resident Jon Cho warns, "We need more transit, it would help this area. But it's also gonna cause a nightmare in the time being."

The first phase of the project, which would extend the Orange Line from Arlington out through Tysons Corner to Reston, is expected to be completed by 2013, and the final project extending the line to Dulles is expected to see completion two to three years later.

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