Aldridge/Collisys wins Twin Cities Central Corridor systems contract

Visioning Sessions The Metropolitan Council awarded Aldridge/Collisys, a joint venture, an $87.9-million systems contract to build the traction-power substations and overhead contact system for the Central Corridor LRT Project.  Aldridge/Collisys also will construct the communications system, train-to-wayside communications, radio, public address system and train control system with control centers, wayside signals and remotely controlled power-operated switches.

Their bid includes $85.9
million of Central Corridor project expense (including up to $3.1 million in
sales tax), compared with the systems project budget of $89.6 million. The bid
also includes $1.9 million to build two Hiawatha traction power substations in
support of three-car operations on that line.

Metro Transit, Hiawatha’s
operator, will pay for those two substations. Limited three-car train service
on HLRT began this month with existing fleet to better manage peak demand. HLRT
will need additional capacity to meet increasing demand.

Aldridge/Collisys will
begin its work this fall on the computer/control system at Hiawatha’s Rail
Control Center. Aldridge is based in Libertyville, Ill., and Collisys is based
in New Hope, Minn. The contract has a 15-percent Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
goal.

This is the third major
construction contract for the project. Contracts awarded to date are running
about $30 million below budget, with one remaining major contract award for the
operation and maintenance facility in St. Paul scheduled later this year.
Budget savings will flow into a required project contingency fund for
unexpected expenses.

Construction
began after Labor Day east of the state Capitol on Robert and 12th streets
north of Interstate 94. Most of the heavy construction on University Avenue
will occur in 2011 between Emerald Street and Hamline Avenue and in 2012
between Hamline and Robert. The work in downtown St. Paul will occur in
2011-2012.

Walsh Construction is
building the line’s eastern seven miles in St. Paul, and Ames-McCrossan will
construct the line’s western three miles in Minneapolis.

Ames-McCrossan will begin
prep work this fall to retrofit the Washington Avenue Bridge to accommodate LRT
trains by strengthening the bridge piers. This work will not affect vehicular
or pedestrian/bicycle traffic on the bridge during the fall 2010 semester. In
December, crews will begin the process to tie in the Central Corridor line from
the Hiawatha line just west of the Cedar-Riverside Station to west of the
future West Bank Station. The bulk of the construction on the Minneapolis
segment will start in spring 2011.

The project is able to
begin heavy construction due to advance funding commitments from its partners
and federal approval of this arrangement. Under this same arrangement, the
project began improvements in May on streets around the East Bank campus of the
University of Minnesota and utility relocation work last year on Fourth Street
in St. Paul. The FTA has agreed to reimburse the project partners for the
federal share of this advanced work once it awards a Full Funding Grant
Agreement in late 2010.

The Central Corridor Light
Rail Transit Project will link downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis along
Washington and University avenues via the state Capitol and University of
Minnesota. Construction began in 2010 on the planned 11-mile Central Corridor
line, and service will begin in 2014. The line will connect with the Hiawatha
LRT line at the Metrodome station in Minneapolis and the Northstar commuter
rail line at the new Target Field Station. The Metropolitan Council would be
the grantee of federal funds. The regional government agency is charged with
building the line in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
The Central Corridor Management Committee, which includes the mayors of St.
Paul and Minneapolis, commissioners from Ramsey and Hennepin counties and the
University of Minnesota, provides advice and oversight.

Funding is provided by the
Federal Transit Administration, Counties Transit Improvement Board, state of
Minnesota, Ramsey and Hennepin counties’ regional railroad authorities, city of
St. Paul, Metropolitan Council and the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative.