This is the second delay for the long-awaited commuter rail project that will travel 26 miles between Plano and the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The line will include 10 stations along its planned route, including the existing CityLine/Bush station and a new station at The University of Texas at Dallas.
Construction that is already underway on those stations will continue as planned, DART spokesperson Gordon Shattles said.
The 2024 completion timeline is not set in stone, Shattles said, and it will be up to the transit agency’s board of directors as to when the rail will officially be put into service.
DART executives announced in May that the estimated $1.29 billion cost for the Silver Line had increased to $1.89 billion. Rising costs of construction supplies caused by pandemic-related inventory shortages has played a role in the increase, according to DART officials.
Shattles said the board has been discussing project delays since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic due to a variety of issues in acquiring land and negotiating work agreements with the freight companies that also operate along the planned Silver Line route.
He said DART is continuing to work with landowners along the 26-mile line.
“It’s small pieces of land; someone might own a small square lot, and we’re asking to purchase a small sliver or corner piece of that to ensure safety between the train and the property,” Shattles said.
Construction of 15-foot-high sound mitigation walls along the route is also contributing to delays, Shattles said.
A spokesperson with the city of Richardson said no one was available to comment on the delay at this time.
A Silver Line virtual community meeting will be held July 27 for Richardson residents to discuss construction developments and ask questions. The meeting is scheduled from 6-7 p.m.
For more information visit www.dart.org/meetings or call the DART community engagement hotline at 214-749-2835.
