Maryland residents are fed up with the progress on the planned Purple Line light-rail project that’s supposed to connect the Bethesda and New Carrollton Metro stations but has been delayed for more than two years because of contract disputes.
Huge swaths of land essentially have been empty work zones for those two years because of cost and contract disputes. According to Maryland leaders, the cost skyrocketed from about $5.5 billion to more than $9 billion.
“It’s a mess,” resident Leslie McKay said. “Look. I mean, everywhere you look in this whole area is this huge construction that came to a screeching halt and is not completed.”
Business have closed or had to move.
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One of the most noticeable places where the Purple Line work has stalled is in Chevy Chase. A bridge over Connecticut Avenue that’s going to carry the trains is basically half finished.
Meanwhile, new development has gone up around the planned stations, but the project itself hasn’t kept pace.
“Yeah, I think it’s just taking a while,” resident Paola Uriarte said. “I mean, we all knew it was going to take a while, you know, it’s just, I mean, I don’t even know when they’re going to be done.”
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The Montgomery County Council grilled state transit leaders about the progress of the rail line Tuesday. Many argued the beloved Georgetown Branch Trail nearby, which has been closed in large part because of the project, needs to reopen as soon as it is safe to do so.
“I’m going to strongly urge you to find any and all opportunities to open the trail,” Montgomery County Council member Andrew Friedson said.
A new agreement has been reached with a new contractor, and there are signs of some work resuming. The Purple Line originally was expected to open this year. Now, the earliest timeframe for opening is 2026.
