Wyn Delano
WMAL.com
NEW CAROLLTON (WMAL) — Maryland Governor Larry Hogan ceremonially “broke ground” on the Purple Line Monday by tearing into a building with an excavator.
“I might want to come out and help them a little more – its a stress reliever,” he told WMAL.
The groundbreaking comes shortly after Hogan said the state would sign an agreement to get $900 million in federal money to contribute to the project’s $2 billion construction cost.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, during the groundbreaking, explained that the Trump administration is supportive of public-private partnerships such as the Purple Line:
“Maryland can be an example to the rest of the country,” she said.
A video of the entire ceremony was also posted:
In July an appeals court granted an expedited hearing schedule and a stay, which allowed the government to move forward with federal funding.
The Purple Line has been advocated for in various forms for nearly 25 years and mired in legal battles and funding struggles.
Yet with the banner flying and the funding agreement signed, it seems like the Purple Line will now exist in some form.
“It will be a transformative long term asset for our state,” Hogan said.
Opponents, however, have been quick to point out there is still pending legal action with a federal court to rule on the project in October.
Governor Larry Hogan also posted a video of him using the excavator to Facebook:
WMAL’s Steve Burns and John Matthews contributed to this report
Copyright 2017 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: Larry Hogan Via Facebook)
