SAN FRANCISCO -- Members of the California High Speed Rail Authority on Wednesday approved the final leg of a proposed 800-mile bullet train route between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The section approved by board members meeting in San Francisco will carry trains down the Peninsula , through the South Bay and across Pacheco Pass to the Central Valley.

While some hurdles remain, board members said support is strong for the $40 billion project.

"It's a huge undertaking. It is by far the largest construction project in the nation's history," board member Rod Diridon said. "We really have only one city in the whole state opposed to it, and we'll work with that city to be sure the situation improves."

The city of Atherton remains opposed to the plan.

Funding for the project will come from a public-private partnership that includes a $10 billion dollar bond measure on the November ballot. Construction could begin in another two years and be completed eight to ten years later.