Dulles International Airport station

least 1969, but formal plans were not made until 2002, with the first phase of the project commencing in 2004. According to a 1969–1970 engineering study, a full-scale Metro station was planned (but never built) 28 feet (8.6 m) below a parking lot. The originally planned single-side platform station would not meet current Metro specifications for a center platform, which is necessary since current plans would extend service beyond the airport to western suburbs. Plans for an above-ground facility drew concerns from the Virginia Historic Preservation Office regarding the visual impact on the Eero Saarinen-designed terminal. Consultants estimated that an above-ground station would save $640 million in construction costs.On April 6, 2011, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Board voted 9 to 4 to build an underground station 550 feet away from the terminal, rather than an above-ground station 1,150 feet away from the terminal, at an additional cost of $330 million. Construction of the underground station would have extended its expected opening to mid-2017. However, on July 20, 2011, the MWAA board reversed its previous vote and approved an above-ground station due to pressure from state and local officials to reduce overall project costs.