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The Twin Cities’ Central Corridor light-rail project in Minnesota obtained budget approval, lined up city funding for an additional station and awarded a public utility relocation contract during what’s been a busy August.

Set to launch construction next year and open in 2014, the 11-mile Central Corridor would link downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis, and connect with the Hiawatha light-rail line and Northstar commuter-rail line.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently approved the project’s plan stipulated in a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The agency would reimburse the project’s funding partners for 50 percent of the cost of relocating public utilities under Fourth Street in downtown St. Paul if the FTA approves a Full Funding Grant Agreement next year. The FTA also awarded a $24.75 million grant to the Metropolitan Council to advance the corridor’s design and engineering work.

Meanwhile, the council has approved the adequacy of the FEIS, enabling the project to seek federal permission to enter the final design phase in fall. The council also revised the project’s budget to $941.3 million and awarded a $12.5 million contract to Carl Bolander & Sons to relocate public utilities in downtown St. Paul.

Finally, the city of St. Paul announced plans to commit $5.2 million to the project’s budget to cover the cost of building one of three additional stations.