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On Monday, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) notified the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) that its $900 million grant request for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Silicon Valley Berryessa extension project is 60 days from being awarded through a full funding grant agreement (FFGA).

The FFGA with the U.S. Department of Transportation is the final step before construction can begin on the project, VTA officials said in a prepared statement, adding that work is slated to start in spring.

“The BART Silicon Valley Project has gone through years of design and planning, and I am proud to see this important job-creating project becoming a reality,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.).

VTA submitted a grant application to the FTA in June 2011. In December, the FTA presented the FFGA packet to the Federal Office of Management and Budget, and the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, both of which approved the packet. The application now goes before Congress for a 60-day notification period, VTA officials said.