ST. PAUL — The new light rail line connecting downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis will open for riders on June 14.

The Metropolitan Council announced the opening date Wednesday. The Central Corridor route, or Green Line, originates at Union Depot in downtown St. Paul and runs through the State Capitol complex before traveling east to the University of Minnesota campus. It links up with the existing Hiawatha route, or Blue Line, on the east side of downtown Minneapolis.

The nearly $1 billion project came in on budget. The federal government is covering half the costs.