City Council Unsure of Met Council's Tunnel Plan for Southwest LRT

The Minneapolis city council wasn't too enthusiastic about the Metropolitan Council's proposal to build tunnels throughout the city for the Southwest Light Rail line, according to recent news reports.

The Met Council is looking at whether or not it's viable to build a tunnel along existing freight train tracks for the light rail line. Planners for the project are determining whether to bury the light rail trains in a tunnel along Kenilworth corridor — an area where many bicyclists use trails that run alongside the train tracks, according to Minnesota Public Radio. 

City council members discussed whether that's the best option for the light rail line during its city council meeting on Tuesday. Building a tunnel could be costly — nearly $330 million, an estimate given by the Met Council, according to the Star Tribune. 

MPR reports that the Met Council will finalize plans next month. Then the city council will have until this fall to decide if they will accept the Met Council's plan. 

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