"We wanted to give the project a user-friendly name that really describes its function of providing a rapid transit connection to and from the airport," MDT Director Harpal Kapoor said. "The AirportLink name is an excellent identifier that will be easily understood by visitors and residents alike."

The rail extension, which broke ground in May 2009, will run from Metrorail's existing Earlington Heights station to the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC), a centralized transportation hub now under construction at the airport.

Anyone who has been on State Road 112 lately has seen the exciting signs of progress. A number of supporting columns have already sprung up, and the portion of the rail line bridging across the expressway is currently under construction, causing some nightly lane closures.

The People's Transportation Plan (PTP) half-penny sales surtax is providing most of the funding for the $526 million AirportLink, with the Florida Department of Transportation contributing $100 million.