A federal loan of nearly $120 million to Dallas Area Rapid Transit will help get light rail built from Irving to DFW International Airport by 2014.

The $119.9 million, 35-year loan approved last week by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will be used to pay for building a 5.17-mile piece of the Orange Line into the airport.

The line is undergoing a $397 million overall expansion, including connection to the Green Line, which runs through downtown Dallas, as well as to other transit.

DART's goal is to create a 90-mile light rail network for the Dallas metro area by 2014.