The ‘finish line is finally in sight’: MoCo, state officials tout Purple Line milestone with last rail installation

Purple Line officials still ‘pushing’ for late 2027 opening of 16-mile light rail

May 8, 2026 11:07 a.m. | Updated: May 8, 2026 11:14 a.m.

Maryland officials prepare to whack the Purple Line's final rail into place. Photo credit: Elia Griffin

The last Purple Line rail track was installed Thursday afternoon at the light rail line’s future 16th Street-Woodside station in Silver Spring, a key milestone for the long-delayed project that will connect downtown Bethesda to New Carrollton.

About a dozen officials from Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, as well as Gov. Wes Moore, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller and U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen – dressed in highlighter yellow vests and purple construction helmets – lightly whacked the rail’s last pins into place, marking the end of one phase of construction for the nearly $4 billion project.

“This is the day we’ve been waiting for for quite a while. We’re glad the finish line is finally in sight,” Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) said Thursday at a press event celebrating the project milestone.

Construction on the Purple Line began in 2017. The project has faced myriad delays and cost increases and communities and businesses, particularly in downtown Silver Spring, have faced hardships due to the ongoing construction, bridge and road closures and flooding from broken water mains.

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“Your predecessor did fumble the ball big time on this, but you picked it up and you and all of team Maryland are going to get it over the finish line,” Van Hollen said to Moore, referring to former Gov. Larry Hogan (R).

“This project is important for economic empowerment,” Van Hollen added. “It’s important for our communities. It’s important for a transportation corridor that will move people more efficiently and faster. It’s important for our environment. This was a great vision when it started, and today, we are one big step closer to making it happen.”

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen speaks to Maryland leaders at a press event Thursday celebrating the final rail installation for the Purple Line at the 16th Street-Woodside station in Silver Spring. Photo credit: Elia Griffin

Although Van Hollen noted that he would give project developers some “leeway” with an early 2028 opening, Purple Line officials emphasized to Bethesda Today that they were still aiming for the late 2027 launch goal.

“We’re pushing towards the end of 2027,” Purple Line Senior Project Director Rays Biggs II told Bethesda Today on Thursday. “With testing, that is the most complex part of the project, so I figure that’s probably why he said he’s giving us some room to 2028.”

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When complete, the 16-mile light rail line will run from Bethesda to New Carrollton and connect riders to the Metro’s Red, Green and Orange lines as well as to MARC and Amtrak trains and bus services. As of early May, officials say construction of the line is 90% complete.

Now that all tracks have been laid, Biggs said the next steps will be installing the green overhead catenary system that will run alongside the light rail tracks and transmit the electricity that will run the railcars. After the catenary system is completed, construction crews will add the finishing touches to the county’s 10 stations and begin testing.

Testing of the light rail line, which includes driving the rail cars, is underway in Prince George’s County, where the tracks and many of the stations have been completed for several months.

“This time next year, we’ll be doing end-to-end testing or trial testing,” Biggs said. “That’s the biggest piece of when it will really be real for people.”

At the 16th Street-Woodside station, the tracks and platform structure are complete, but signage as well as sidewalks, paths and landscaping have yet to be finished, according to Biggs. Also, the green overhead catenary system is not installed.

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The station is also missing its key art installation, Biggs noted. When complete, all Purple Line stations will have a unique public art fixture integrated into the station’s design. A yellow, chain-link tunnel covering opposite entrances of the station’s north platform will be 16th Street-Woodside Station’s art piece. The structure is designed by John Ruppert, a Baltimore-based metalworker and artist.

The 16th Street-Woodside Station is located between the 16th Street and Spring Street bridges in Silver Spring. The station is less than a half mile from the Washington, D.C., border with Maryland and sits parallel to the CSX and MARC commuter train tracks, as well as the Capital Crescent Trail.

The station is within sight of the Spring Street Bridge, which is under construction. The bridge has been closed since 2024 to be reconstructed for the Purple Line project.

Biggs said that construction on the bridge is set to be complete at the end of the summer. He did not provide an exact timeline, but said that after the bridge construction is complete, its ownership will eventually be transferred to the Montgomery County Department of Transportation for operation and maintenance and then reopened.

Reopening the bridge has faced delays due to challenging construction conditions, the need to schedule work around the active railway below and a winter storm and frigid cold temperatures earlier this year, according to officials.

The Spring Street Bridge can be seen from the Purple Line’s 16th Street-Woodside station in Silver Spring. Photo credit: Elia Griffin

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine