LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Could the Brightline West high-speed rail project break ground by the end of 2023? That's the goal the company and the Nevada Department of Transportation said they're looking to meet as the project chugs along.
On Monday, NDOT Director Tracy Larkin Thomason gave an update to state transportation officials and Gov. Joe Lombardo. She said right now, the focus is on funding the project.
The whole project is estimated to cost about $12 billion. Brightline West previously said they're planning on using $800 million for roadway improvements along Interstate 15. The company has also received $25 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation. However, Thomason said they're still waiting to hear back on the $3.75 billion grant that NDOT submitted in April 2023.
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Thomason said they're expected to hear back from U.S. transportation officials on the status of that grant later this fall. She added that the next phase for Brightline is securing private funding to pay for the rest.
In July, the project was given the green light by authorities who gave them a FONSI. The Finding of No Significant Impact demonstrates the project won't have negative impacts on the environment. You can read the full environmental assessment here.
"Having permits and right of way are typically the highest barriers to success for large scale infrastructure developments," Brightline West president Sarah Watterson said in a statement. "Brightline West's tremendous progress here signifies why we are moving towards a ground-break later this year."
Company officials add the project will generate more than 35,000 jobs during construction and more than 1,000 permanent jobs to operate and maintain the system. They said it would also take three million cars off the road since the railway could lead to people taking more than 11 million trips every year.
The project was originally scheduled to break ground in 2020 but the company pulled a planned bond offering that year. In July 2021, the company said they bought a 110-acre parcel of land at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip. That land would be home to a terminal station, parking, and access to other types of ground transportation.
Thomason said they're expecting to release more information in the coming days since Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen is expected to speak with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
