The Southwest LRT (Metro Green Line Extension) is an under–construction 14.5-mile (23.3 km) light rail transit corridor in Hennepin County, Minnesota, with service between Minneapolis and Eden Prairie.

Hennepin County selected the alignment of the route and worked with the Metropolitan Council on environmental impact statements for the project.

[13] In 1988, the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) identified the Southwest transitway from Hopkins to downtown Minneapolis as a future LRT corridor.

[15] On May 26, 2010, the Metropolitan Council voted to approve the locally preferred alternative advanced by Hennepin County.

The project at that point transferred to Metropolitan Council control and at the time was expected to begin service in 2018.

Operating the two LRT tracks adjacent to the Twin Cities & Western Railroad line (four freight trains each day) will require Metro Transit to purchase a standard $300 Million insurance policy holding the railroad harmless for any accidents caused by derailments of freight or LRT trains.

They also allege that County planners manipulated cost benefit calculations of the different route options to lead to preference for the Kenilworth alignment.

During public input phases in 2007–2008 the final three proposed routes faced opposition by some members of two Minneapolis neighborhoods, Kenwood and Whittier.

In Kenwood, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods, their criticism involves disruption to natural parkland and noise though the Kenilworth Corridor (which routes '1A' and '3A' would run on).

[23] The Bryn Mawr neighborhood has favored the routes moving through the Kenilworth Corridor as it supports their redevelopment plans.

[17] To bring costs within the original budget, Metropolitan Council members proposed measures such as eliminating the Mitchell Road station in Eden Prairie or decreasing the size of the Hopkins maintenance facility.

[27] On February 15, 2017, the Metropolitan Council announced that the Southwest LRT design and engineering phase would be complete at the end of 2017.

[28] As of late February 2022 work at the Kenilworth tunnel had been stopped since January that year due to damage to a neighboring condominium.

After bidding was completed, the Metropolitan Council's addition of substantial new or changed work resulted in delays and increased costs.

Legislative Auditor Judy Randall noted that the Metropolitan Council was less cooperative than most state agencies they audited, and criticized their lack of transparency in communicating problems related to the Southwest LRT to the public.

[8][33] In January 2024, a whistleblower engineer working for the Metropolitan Council sued the agency alleging fraud and mismanagement related to multiple change orders.

While TC&W stated the 25 foot minimum was for worker safety while in the area and Jason Alexander, the project manager, referred to it as "a small issue," it caused some concern for nearby residents.

[35] The delays and cost overruns of the Southwest Light Rail line renewed calls to reform the Metropolitan Council, resulting a state legislative task force and a law passed in giving the Minnesota Department of Transportation more oversight of future transit projects.

In a private call with government stakeholders, the Metropolitan Council expected a delay of at least two years, pushing a late 2025 opening at the earliest.

[48] These used a modified center-truck design that allowed sideways-facing seating in the center section,[49] for better passenger flow.