A preliminary breakthrough was announced today in the spat over light rail between the University of Minnesota and the Met Council, which is working to build the Central Corridor line to connect downtowns of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Today's agreement means some work can begin on road improvements in the university area, with temporary easements.

And the Met Council will "implement a construction management plan to protect university research facilities during this summer’s road work, and to join with the university in seeking $12.5 million in state bonding authority to assist with the relocation of certain U research labs from buildings along Washington Avenue," the agreement says.

University officials had sued over the line, saying vibrations and noise from trains would disrupt sensitive campus laboratories on the light rail route.

A three-day mediation session, led by retired U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Lebedoff, produced the agreement that they say "provides a framework for resolving the remaining issues concerning the mitigation plan to protect university research labs from vibration and electromagnetic interference (EMI) caused by LRT trains."

More work is needed to resolve other issues and mediation will resume April 26.

Met Council Chair Peter Bell said today's agreement is a good thing:

“We believe the mitigation plan we have agreed upon will provide that protection in a financially responsible manner, while allowing us to move forward with this vital transit improvement.”