Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray said Wednesday he is rescinding his support for the underground Metro station option at Dulles International Airport.
The mayor joins Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and US Transportation Secretary Ray La Hood in supporting the cheaper above-ground option.
Gray said at a press conference he would rather have above-ground access to Dulles than no station at all.
"I have reconsidered my position and we don't want to wind up with nothing," he said.
The decision stems from a recent meeting Gray and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who has said that the state cannot afford to spend the extra $300 million that an underground station would cost to build. It was unclear whether Gray was able to extract anything from McDonnell in exchange for his support.
Phase 1 of the Silver Line is nearly halfway complete, and will run from Vienna to Reston's Wiehle Avenue when it opens in 2013. Phase 2, set for completion in 2017, is under fire right now to cut about $1 billion from its price tag.
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