The suit sought to stop the contract from being rebid while the consultants' wrongful termination claim was considered. In that case, the Met Council claimed a delay could end the project because it would have wrecked the chance to meet local and federal deadlines. The federal judge in the contract case rejected the consultant's claim and found that the delay in rebidding could kill the Minneapolis light-rail project. The federal agency, which has been burned by delayed and over-budget projects in the past, could stop payment if the Minneapolis project takes too long or costs too much, supporters say. Such lawsuits common Lawsuits themselves do not damage new light-rail lines.
Federal officials say it is common for planners of light-rail lines to be sued and still move ahead.
Some legal actions, however, block the construction schedule, and those delays can kill light-rail projects. The order of construction for some portions of the project can be switched when contractors, for whatever reason, cannot proceed on schedule. But it appears the complicated utility relocation is not one of them, according to legal documents. The state Transportation Department and the Met Council are asking a federal judge to force Xcel to move its utilities now and deal with the payment question later. That way, they say, project could keep moving forward.