Southwest Light Rail Transit Project Revised Budget

Photo: metrocouncil.org

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The revised budget for the Southwest Light Rail Transit Project is now $2.86 billion.

According to a report from KSTP, the Met Council in Minneapolis held a meeting to discuss the budget of the Southwest Light Rail Transit project, also known as the Metro Green Line Extension. Jim Alexander, project director, has commented that the revised budget is “now $2.86 billion, which is much higher than the original budget of $2 billion in 2018.”

Alexander went on to say that the new estimate is “something that we’ve identified, and the feds are currently going over, and we have a pretty high degree of confidence that this is going to be our number.”

In September 2023, the Met Council met with Hennepin County and agreed to split the cost of a budget shortfall of $340 million. During that time, project leaders told members of the Met Council that there would be a revised budget estimate projection in January 2024. As well, 10 of the 14.5-mile project and 11 of the 16 stations are completed. Additionally, Alexander reported that concrete has been poured for the Kenilworth Tunnel.

The revised budget is under review by the federal government, which will approve or reject the revised number in April.