The DC Examiner writes (and other sources confirm) that West*Group, the largest landowner in Tysons Corner, has sent a letter to Governor Kaine offering to pay for any difference in cost between a tunnel and an elevated railway. They sent this on behalf of a large coalition of Tysons businesses who are willing to put their money where their mouth is. This shows their utter confidence in the independent study of the tunnel option which they commissioned. These companies are supporters of the TysonsTunnel.org group.
I have some very reliable sources that have confirmed that Dragados, a Spanish tunneling company and part of Grupo ACS, has submitted a firm, fixed price bid to do the Tysons portion of the tunnel (including the stations) for $823 million. That’s $200 million less than Bechtel’s elevated rail and 12 months faster! My sources also have indication that Governor Kaine is trying to get the expensive, sole-source contract signed with Bechtel as soon as possible before this whole thing gets any more attention.
An elevated railway will be a disaster for Tysons! As the Washington Post says, “You’re not going to like this one bit.” The WaPo article says that 100,000 commuters go to Tysons and 70,000 cars pass through Tysons each day. As the WaPo says, “Many people who live and work in the Tysons area have been focused on a last-minute drive to put the tracks in a tunnel, an option preferred by almost everyone, including Metro transit managers who will wind up running the trains.” Assuming an elevated railway, the WaPo depressingly concludes, “In coming years, no transportation issue in our region will compare in complexity to Tysons travel.”
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