December 16, 2020 Maryland leaders on Wednesday approved a plan to allocate an additional $250 million for the Purple Line, a massive light rail project running east to west in Prince George's and Montgomery counties. Subscribe The Board of Public Works voted unanimously to approve the Hogan administration's $250 million settlement with Purple Line Transit Partners, the collection of firms building the oft-delayed transit line. The vote brings the total state outlay for the project to $5.8 billion ― and a $100 million first installment of the settlement will be paid out to the transit consortium before the end of the year. The state has officially taken over day-to-day management of the project, which runs from New Carrollton to Bethesda, and 14 different contractors are continuing to work on different phases of the construction, Transportation Secretary Greg Slater told the board members ― Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R), Comptroller Peter V.R. Franchot (D) and Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp (D). Over the next several months, the state will solicit bids for a new project designer and manager, he said.