A federal court ruled today that Honolulu can continue working on the first three phases of its rail project.

But Judge A. Wallace Tashima said the city can’t start construction on the fourth phase until it has complied with the conditions set forth in the recent Hawaii Supreme Court decision.

The fourth phase, which is expected to begin work in June 2014, is the urban Honolulu portion from Middle Street in Kalihi to Ala Moana Center.

Mayor Peter Carlisle applauded the decision in a statement:

“This ruling is very reasonable, and is essentially what the City asked for,” Carlisle said. “It will allow construction to resume after compliance with the Hawaii Supreme Court decision, while other work will continue. And the City can address remaining issues in a timely manner without undue burden.”

Read Civil Beat’s previous reporting on the lawsuit, and the ruling itself: