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On April 26, Federal Transit Administration and Minnesota state officials plan to sign a full-funding grant agreement that will commit millions of federal dollars to the Central Corridor Light-Rail Transit project, which will connect the downtowns of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The agreement will require the federal government to reimburse the project’s funding partners for half the cost to build the $957 million line, which will link the two cities along Washington and University avenues via the state Capitol and University of Minnesota.

The Metropolitan Council will serve as the grantee of the federal funds. The regional agency is charged with building the line in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Construction began in 2010 along the 11-mile line, which will connect with the Hiawatha light-rail line at the Metrodome station and the Northstar commuter-rail line at the new Target Field station in Minneapolis.

To date, $185 million has been spent on the project’s design, property acquisition and construction. The project is slated for completion in 2014.