Maryland DOT seeks to extend Purple Line deadline to 2027

The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) announced late last week it is seeking to extend the contractual deadline of opening revenue service on the new Purple Line to 2027.

The schedule change reflects delayed completion of utility relocations for the light-rail line and the complexities of working in a dense urban environment, MDOT MTA officials said in a press release. Ongoing national workforce and supply-chain shortcomings also have impacted the project.

The Purple Line project calls for an expansion of transit access in Prince George and Montgomery counties, two of the state's most populous counties. The 16.2-mile, 21-station light-rail line will link to multiple other passenger-rail services, including those operated by MARC, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and Amtrak.

The project is more than 50% complete, with construction actively progressing along the entire alignment from New Carrollton to Bethesda at 60 sites. The majority of crews at those sites currently are conducting utility relocation and replacements and upgrading storm drain systems. Other crew members are laying track; building bridges and retaining walls; constructing stations; and working to prepare the future Glenridge Operations and Maintenance Facility, which is scheduled to begin receiving light-rail vehicles in 2024.

MDOT MTA and design-build contractor Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP) have worked together in recent months to identify and mitigate delays where possible and reach an agreement to resolve remaining delays, administration officials said.

The MDOT MTA board is slated to review the extension request tomorrow.