Metro station stop goes underground at Dulles

While the Tysons landscape is dotted with cranes and trusses for the first phase of the Metrorail to Dulles, it is a station stop in phase two that made headlines this week. The board of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority voted 9-4 in favor of an underground station stop at Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, VA. It will be closer than the above ground option.  By about 600 feet.  Supporters say underground will be more convenient, especially for travelers with lots of luggage. And the price tag for going underground? $330 million more than an above ground station. The airport stop is scheduled for the second phase of the Metrorail project. Phase two will run from Wiehle Avenue in Reston to Ashburn in eastern Loudoun. The project is expected to cost $3.5 billion, including the underground stop, and open in late 2016.  However, the additional time needed to build an underground stop may push the opening to mid-2017. Phase one, now under construction, will connect to the East Falls Church station and include four stations in Tysons Corner. It is scheduled to open in 2013. Fairfax County officials have endorsed the less-expensive aboveground option.