Recommendation Paper to Dulles Corridor Commitee: Analysis of Alternative Airport Alignments for Metrorail at Washington Dulles International Airport, April 2011

The paper presented below is MWAA staff's analysis and recommendation for the construction of the Metrorail station at Dulles airport.  Aside from the graphics that depict the various alignments and the discussion of the alternatives, the paper provides some important cost information on Phase 2 of the Dulles line effort and the construction of the station at the airport.  In particular--

• The "modified baseline underground alternative" (i.e.--the station is underground in the middle of the main parking lot) recommended by the staff and selected by the Dulles Corridor Committee and MWAA Board of Directors will cost between $912-$949 million to build.  With its construction, Phase 2 of the Metrorail project will cost $3.50-$3.54 billion according to this analysis.
• The less expensive "North Garage Aerial Alternative" (above ground) would cost $587 million and Phase 2 would cost $3.17 billion.
• The original "Terminal Tunnel Alternative" would cost $1,440 million and Phase 2 would cost $4.03 billion.  

What this report does not discuss is the fact that, under the current financial agreement, MWAA would only pay about $257 million (4.1% of the total cost of the Dulles line) out of its own funds (Aviation Fund)--about one-quarter of the cost of the selected Dulles Metrorail station option. 

MWAA Staff Analysis & Recommendation for Dulles Station--042011