President Barack Obama yesterday showed his support for Boston’s Green Line Extension (GLX), recommending federal support for the project in his budget released yesterday.

Obama’s proposal includes $100 million in federal fiscal year 2015 and an opportunity for an agreement with the federal government for more support over the next several years.

"This historic commitment of federal New Starts Program funds, when matched with state contributions, will fulfill a promise made during construction of the Central Artery Project and complete the long-awaited extension of rail service to Somerville and Medford," Gov. Deval Patrick said in a statement. "With the first phase of construction already underway, we are already clearly seeing the economic opportunity and jobs created through this project. This wise federal and state investment will unlock the potential economic growth along the new Green Line corridor and leave a legacy of greater mobility for residents and smart environmental benefits in one of the Commonwealth’s most densely-populated areas."

The Green Line Extension project is an initiative of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to extend MBTA Green Line service from a relocated Lechmere Station in East Cambridge to Union Square in Somerville and College Avenue in Medford. Earlier this year, the Patrick Administration requested that the federal government fund half of the $1.4 billion project.

MassDOT has already begun work on the project with early action bridge and roadway upgrades currently underway in Somerville and Medford. Major utility relocation and site preparation work is scheduled to begin later this year with full construction beginning in spring 2015.