MINNEAPOLIS — The federal government has signed off on a new bus rapid transit line between Burnsville and downtown Minneapolis.

The Orange Line will run buses along Interstate 35-W, easing congestion on the 17-mile stretch of freeway. The trip will make 11 stops and will take about 40 minutes from end to end.

The Federal Transit Administration approved the project this week. Metro Transit says the Orange Line should open in 2019.

Metro Transit senior planner Christina Morrison says the route is already one of the most used bus corridors in the metro area.

Construction is expected to begin in 2017. It will cost an estimated $150 million, with the federal government covering roughly half.