The Durham-Orange Light Rail Project is moving forward after the federal government completed its environmental review.

The Final Environmental Impact Statement was approved by the Federal Transit Authority on February 11. That statement addressed concerns from the public after a draft was released last fall. Jeff Mann, the general manager at GoTriangle, said they received 1,400 comments during that time.

The 17-mile light rail line will run from UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill to Duke and VA Hospitals in Durham.

The project is expected to cost about $1.5 billion, 50 percent will come from the federal government, 25 percent will come from a local sales tax and the remaining 25 percent would come from the state.

But last year the legislature put a cap of $500,000 on light-rail projects. Mann said he hopes legislators will lift that cap during their next session.

“We are working diligently with our partners and supporters to work with members of the general assembly and with the support of NC DOT and the administration has been very supportive of the efforts to remove that cap in the upcoming short session,” said Mann.

The state Department of Transportation had previously allotted $138 million to the Durham-Orange Light Rail under a 2013 bill that allocated transportation funds based on data and local input.

While state funding for the project is still an issue, Mann said they will continue to move the light rail forward.

“We are not slowing down; we continue to think that the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit project is the right transit solution for the corridor,” said Mann.

Some oppose the light rail project, instead favoring a bus rapid transit system that would create dedicated bus lanes for faster travel.

The light rail has been in project develop phase. Mann said the project will now enter an engineering phase for the next three years.

“It’s a very large project so we don’t want that to slip in any way and we will continue to drive forward just as we have been,” said Mann.

Construction is expected to begin in 2019 with service starting in late 2025 or 2026.

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