Southwest Light Rail Extension Plan Advances
ST. LOUIS PARK (WCCO) – A tentative resolution has been reached regarding the planned Southwest Light Rail Transit Project, which is expected to clear the way for construction.
"This region expects almost a million more people between 2010 and 2040," said Metropolitan Council Chair Alene Tchourumoff. "To accommodate such growth, we must build Southwest LRT, which is critical to the economic health and mobility of our region."
The 14.5-mile transit line extension project is planned to operate from downtown Minneapolis through the communities of St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie, passing close to the city of Edina. The line is expected to connect major hubs, including downtown Minneapolis, Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, downtown Hopkins and the Opus/Golden Triangle employment area in Minnetonka and Eden Prairie
The project has faced issues along the way, including reaching agreements to share rail corridors with three different freight rail companies.
The Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County, the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, and Twin Cities and Western Railroad announced the agreement on Monday, and the plan will go before the Hennepin County Board, Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, and the Metropolitan Council this week for consideration.
The project receives funding from the Federal Transit Administration, Hennepin County, Counties Transit Improvement Board, Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, the state of Minnesota, and other project partners.
For more information on the project, visit www.swlrt.org.
