Honolulu rail transit awards two contracts

Written by jrood

Two major contracts were awarded to Ansaldo Honolulu, a joint venture of Ansaldo STS and Ansaldo Breda, for Honolulu's rail project "core systems," which consists of the train vehicles and system control center; and to Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. for design and construction of the second phase of the rail elevated guideway from Pearl City to Aloha Stadium. These latest contracts represent a net savings of $165 million from the current project estimate. Both were selected through the procurement process based on "best value," which is determined by evaluating all relevant criteria in addition to price. "Not only are we creating much-needed jobs with these and other rail contracts, but we are also saving taxpayers' money by making the most of the competitive bids coming in for the project," said Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle. "This process reinforces the City's commitment to ensure the rail project comes in on time and on budget." The City has saved more than $300 million in construction costs on the four construction contracts awarded to date. Previous construction contracts include the contract to Kiewit for the first 6.5-mile phase of the elevated rail guideway from East Kapolei to Pearl City and the contract for the train maintenance and storage facility in Waipahu, which was awarded to the joint venture of Kiewit/Kobayashi. Ansaldo was selected as the winning bidder for the $574-million core systems contract and will be responsible for manufacturing an initial order of 80 train cars for the Honolulu rail system, as well as providing power and communications for the system. The core systems contract came in about 27 percent under the current project estimate. Ansaldo will also operate and maintain the rail system. Under the $372-million Kamehameha Highway design-build contract, Kiewit will construct the 3.9-mile, second phase of the elevated rail guideway from Pearl City to Aloha Stadium. The Kamehameha Highway Guideway contract came in about 17 percent above the current project estimate. Kiewit will be responsible for construction of the elevated guideway along the second phase of the rail alignment, installation of train tracks and restoration of the road surface along the route. "We are pleased that three of the four major contracts have resulted in a net savings of more than $300 million. This contributes significantly to the confidence and stability of the financial plan," Mayor Carlisle said. Train service for the first leg of the transit route from East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium is scheduled to begin in 2015, with full service along the entire 20-mile route from East Kapolei to Ala Moana Center in 2019.

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