Long wait for Metro Silver Line coming to an end

McLEAN, Va. (AP) — After decades of planning and years of construction, the Metro Silver Line opens to passengers Saturday.

The commuter rail line linking Tysons Corner and Reston to the extensive D.C.-area subway system cost nearly $3 billion.

By 2018, the Silver Line will extend west another 11 miles to Dulles International Airport at an additional cost of $2.7 billion.

As opening day approaches, questions remain about whether the project was worth the cost.

It is one in a series of large-scale construction projects aimed at easing congestion in a region known for traffic jams.

In the last decade, the region has untangled the Springfield Mixing Bowl, built a new Woodrow Wilson Bridge over the Potomac River, and added Express Lanes to the Capital Beltway.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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