A federal judge has removed another issue that could have blocked construction of the Purple Line in Maryland.
The judge dismissed part of a lawsuit that alleged the environmental review of the light rail line violated protections on endangered species and migratory birds, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.
The proposed rail line would run between Bethesda in Montgomery County and New Carrollton in Prince George's County, connecting with existing Metro stations in Silver Spring, College Park and New Carrollton.
Maryland officials can appeal the remaining issues from the lawsuit, which requires more studies on the possible effect of declining Metro ridership.
Work on the 16-mile line has been delayed 7 months because of a federal suit filed by opponents of the line to connect Montgomery and Prince George's counties.
