The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project – Tunneling aspects of the Metrorail extension to Washington, DC Dulles International Airport Phase I and Phase II

Rapid Transit for the Dulles Corridor was initially explored in the 1950’s as part of the planning process for Dulles Airport. At that time it was decided to reserve the median of the Dulles Airport Access Highway for future transit access to the airport. Preservation of this median allows the alignment to be at grade for most of its length within the corridor. Since the initial planning the need for transit in the Dulles Corridor had been studied and although rail transit in the corridor was not part of WMATA’s originally adopted rapid transit system, rapid transit service for the corridor remained a local and regional goal (Schrag, 2006).