The mayor of Phoenix, Greg Stanton, helped place the first section of track of a new 5-kilometre light rail extension from Montebello to Dunlap avenues.
A ceremony was held in July to celebrate the milestone.
The Northwest Phoenix light rail extension was originally scheduled to open in 2012. Operator Valley Metro delayed the project’s completion to 2023, attributing the pause to the economic downturn. In 2012, work on the extension resumed and LRVs are now expected to be using the line from 2016.
Attending the track laying ceremony, US Congressman Ed Pastor said: “The Valley’s light rail system is one of the most successful in the country, ranking at the top in ridership,.
“We’re not going to stop here. We’re going to continue to build a regional transit system that will serve our growing community.”
