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The California Transportation Commission has approved a $61.3 million high-speed rail connectivity grant for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) Central Subway project.

The project — which calls for extending the Metro T Third Line from the 4th and King Caltrain station through the South of Market, Union Square and Chinatown areas — will provide direct access to the proposed “blended” high-speed rail system. The Central Subway also will operate three blocks from the Transbay Transit Center, the planned high-speed rail terminus.

The funds are being provided through the Proposition 1A high-speed rail bond program, which was approved by California voters in November 2008. To be eligible for the funds, projects must provide direct connectivity to the state’s planned high-speed rail system and its facilities, be part of the construction of the high-speed train system, or provide capacity enhancements and safety improvements.

The $1.6 billion Central Subway project also will receive $942 million in federal New Starts dollars.