coutesy Creative Commons

The assistance will speed up the environmental review process and allow the line to open sooner. The line will travel from Crenshaw to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and run from the intersection of Exposition and Crenshaw Boulevards to the airport. Passengers will also have the option of continuing on the Green Line all the way to Redondo Beach.

The expedited environmental review granted by the government will allow the project to pass through the federal National Environmental Policy Act quicker than other projects.

The project was also selected for a $546 million Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan, which Metro is now finalizing an application to submit to DOT.

Without the process being sped up by the government, the project would take longer to complete.

The project was one of only 14 transit projects in the nation chosen for aid from the Federal Transit Administration.

The projects, announced Tuesday, expedited review for 14 projects in California, New York, Massachusetts and other states, Reuters reported.

The project aims to create jobs. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said in a statement that the streamlining process for the construction would create more than 15,000 jobs in Los Angeles.

For the project, the contractors are responsible for both design and construction. Some construction will start next year and major construction work will start in 2013.

This announcement comes two weeks after the Metro Board approved negotiations for a Project Labor Agreement and Construction Careers Policy.

The project is currently expected to be operational in 2018.

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Reach associate news editor Hannah Madans here.