Managers of the Purple Line — Maryland’s 16-mile light rail line coming to Prince George’s and Montgomery counties — announced Friday that they’ve selected a new contractor to complete the project.

The contractor, Maryland Transit Solutions, is expected to start construction next spring, once the plan receives approval from the Maryland Board of Public Works — comprised of the governor, state treasurer, and comptroller. The final cost and timeline for when passengers can start riding won’t be released until that final contract goes through, according to The Washington Post.

Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP), the organization managing the project under a public-private agreement with Maryland’s transportation authorities, selected Maryland Transit Solutions after a search that began in January. The company is made up of Dragados USA and OHL USA, two American branches of major Spanish firms, per the Post.

The previous group of construction companies, Purple Line Transit Constructors, dropped out last year after complaining that delays and legal problems set the project back by more than a year and added $519 million to the total cost. (Maryland transit officials disputed those claims for years.) The state paid a hefty settlement to PLTP after back-and-forth lawsuits further stalled the project.

“Today’s news is one more step towards completion and one more step towards Marylanders riding on this critical transit connection,” Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Greg Slater said in a statement. “I want to thank everyone for their continued patience as we work hard to get the Purple Line back on track.”

Dragados, one of the companies involved, is responsible for completing the $2.4 billion Los Angeles International Airport Automated People Mover and three light rail projects in Canada, according to PLTP. OHL USA has worked on major projects throughout the U.S. for over a century.

The 21-station Purple Line is slated to run from New Carrollton to Bethesda and will connect riders with five branches of Metrorail, bus routes, three MARC commuter lines, and Amtrak.

Now, MDOT says, the project is moving “full speed ahead” and expects to be fully greenlit by February.

Previously:

Maryland And Purple Line Contractors Settle Lawsuit, Will Move Forward With Revised Partnership
Construction Companies To Stop Work On Maryland’s Purple Line, Citing Disagreements With State