Miami Metrorail extension renamed as AirportLink

Written by jrood

It's a 2.4-mile Metrorail extension that will take the stress out of getting to and from Miami International Airport. And with less than two years to go before its scheduled spring 2012 opening, the project now has an official new name. Formerly known as the Miami Intermodal Center-Earlington Heights Connector, Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) is pleased to reintroduce the project as the AirportLink.

"We wanted to give the
project a user-friendly name that really describes its function of providing a
rapid transit connection to and from the airport," MDT Director Harpal
Kapoor said. "The AirportLink name is an excellent identifier that will be
easily understood by visitors and residents alike."

The rail extension, which broke
ground in May 2009, will run from Metrorail’s existing Earlington Heights
station to the Miami Intermodal Center, a centralized transportation hub now
under construction at the airport.

Anyone who has been on State
Road 112 lately has seen the exciting signs of progress. A number of supporting
columns have already sprung up, and the portion of the rail line bridging
across the expressway is currently under construction, causing some nightly
lane closures.

The People’s Transportation
Plan (PTP) half-penny sales surtax is providing most of the funding for the
$526-million AirportLink, with the Florida Department of Transportation
contributing $100 million.

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