The democratic members of Maryland’s congressional delegation are pressing Gov. Larry Hogan to find a way to complete the Purple Line, after the private partner building the light rail project began packing up work sites.

In a letter to the Republican governor, the members wrote, “We are writing today to express our deep concern about the future of the Purple Line project… Now that it is clear that the Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP) intend to leave the project and began to demobilize and secure the construction sites… our concerns about the fate of the project have grown exponentially.”

PLTP left the project because of $800 million in cost overruns and several delays. Both parties are suing each other in court.

Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin signed the letter along with Democratic Reps. Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony Brown, Jamie Raskin and David Trone. Republican Rep. Andy Harris did not sign the letter.

The state has taken over some of the Purple Line subcontracts in an effort to keep the project going, but the congress members wanted to know how many contracts, their dollar value and whether the state had the ability to manage those contracts effectively. They also wanted to know how the latest developments would change cost and opening date estimates.

The Maryland Transit Administration has said it’s evaluating whether to run the project itself, find an overarching contractor to take over the project or find another private partner willing to take over the public-private partnership (also known as a P3).

Meanwhile, residents are left unsure of what to expect next. The line was projected to open in March 2022, but contractors say it’s more than two and a half years behind schedule. It’s unclear how much longer the project will be delayed now.

“It is imperative to find a path forward as these delays mean that Maryland residents are the ones that suffer,” the letter said. “Their needs must come first and foremost given that the mission of this public-private partnership was to save taxpayers money while addressing their growing commuting needs and improving local air quality by reducing cars on the road with improved transit options.

“Any additional delay in the completion of the project will only exacerbate the burdens being experienced by both residential communities and commercial enterprises situated in close proximity to the construction sites.”

The delegation told Hogan to keep negotiating with PLTP while continuing to make arrangements to transition the project to the Maryland Department of Transportation. Citing the contract, PLTP says the state does not have a right to seek another P3 partner yet.

Delegation members are also concerned that if the project flounders, it would make the state look bad and harm its relationship with the Federal Transit Administration, which gave $900 million in grants for the $5.6 billion project. They want assurance that the state will engage with federal agencies to make sure they don’t lose funding.

The lawmakers did express confidence in the benefits of the project, however, saying it will connect residents to jobs and encourage new development while reducing traffic congestion. But they were curious how this project’s demise would affect Maryland’s future decision making. The governor has proposed another public-private partnership to build toll lanes on I-495 and I-270.

“What lessons do the challenges with the Purple Line project provide regarding the use of public-private partnerships, and how will these lessons inform any use of this approach for other projects in Maryland going forward?” they wrote.

“We are making good progress on the Purple Line, and all of our critical infrastructure projects across the state. Obviously our congressional delegation is not fully up to speed on where things stand, and we will make sure they receive a technical update,” Mike Ricci, Hogan’s spokesperson said in an email.

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Maryland Takes Over Hundreds Of Purple Line Contracts After Public-Private Partnership Fallout

Purple Line Builders Halt Construction, Begin To Pack Up Work Sites

Maryland Transportation Officials Tell Montgomery County Leaders Purple Line Project Will Continue

Maryland Judge Says Companies Working On The Purple Line Can Quit Following Budget Issues