Permit and Operating Agreement (44 mb)       Master Transfer Agreement (25 mb)  
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) today signed the first of several agreements that will ultimately transfer responsibilities for the Dulles Toll Road to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA).

It is the first in a series of steps required for the Dulles Metrorail Project to be financed and built by MWAA.

VDOT will continue to operate and maintain the toll road until a federal full funding grant agreement for the Metrorail project is executed in fall 2007.

The next major milestone will be when the Federal Transit Administration approves final design for Phase 1 of the Metrorail project in April 2007.

The agreements mirror the Memorandum of Understanding that was approved by the commonwealth and MWAA in March. Earlier this month, both the Commonwealth Transportation Board and MWAA Board were briefed in public sessions on the business terms of the agreements.

When all agreements are finalized, MWAA will:

• Operate and maintain the toll road for 50 years



• Construct the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project from the vicinity of West Falls Church to Route 772 in Loudoun County



• Make other improvements in the Dulles corridor consistent with VDOT and regional plans



• Collect tolls and set toll rates, including congestion pricing, following its regulatory process, including public participation, and after consultation with the Dulles Corridor Advisory Committee

The transfer of operations from the commonwealth to the Airports Authority is the best way to ensure that rail is built all the way to the airport and Loudoun County and that every penny of toll revenue stays in the corridor," said Secretary of Transportation Pierce Homer.

This is the first of many steps that will lead us closer to fulfilling the vision of having rail in the Dulles Corridor to the Airport and beyond to Loudoun County, said James E. Bennett, president and CEO of MWAA.

The agreement provides that all revenues generated by the Dulles Toll Road will be used for transportation purposes within the corridor, including the Metrorail extension and roadway improvements.

VDOT has operated the Dulles Toll Road since it opened to traffic in 1984, but the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) leased MWAA the land on which the roadway was built.

VDOT, MWAA and the USDOT have worked in close partnership for more than 20 years to manage the road, plan for enhancements and ensure access to the growing Dulles area.

By the end of next week, the transfer and permit agreements will be posted on VDOTs Web site, VirginiaDOT.org, the Department of Rail and Public Transportations Web site, DRPT.Virginia.gov, and the Metropolitan Airports Authority site, mwaa.com.

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Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.

Page last modified: Jan. 3, 2007