The on-again off-again construction of the Purple Line is back on again.
The state Department of Transportation agreed Tuesday to pay $250 million to settle a dispute over cost overruns and maintain a public-private partnership to develop and run the light-rail line.
The dispute arose when private contractors threatened to walk away from the deal because of delays caused by lawsuits and unexpected construction issues.
That risked causing yet another delay in the project as the state would have to find a new private partnership, while the companies involved would take a hit as they sought out other local government contracts worth hundreds of millions.
In the end, both sides came to an agreement. It’s not yet clear how much the dispute pushed back the opening of the light-rail line, which had been slated for 2022.
