Port Authority awards larges contract for WTC Transportation Hub

The Port Authority Board of Commissioners today awarded the largest contract to date for the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, which will allow a critical portion of the major transportation facility to be built that will eventually serve more than 200,000 commuters. The contract came in on budget.

The $542-million contract
was awarded to Skanska USA Civil Northeast Inc./Granite Construction Northeast
Inc./Skanska USA Building Inc. It calls for the construction of the PATH Hall
in the World Trade Center site’s West Bathtub, as part of the World Trade
Center Transportation Hub project. The work includes construction of four rail
platforms and the installation of heating, ventilation and air conditioning
systems; plumbing work, fire protection, architectural finishes and ADA
compliance measures.

Last April, the Port
Authority modified its contract with Phoenix Constructors JV – which had been
the general contractor and construction manager on the Transportation Hub
project – to allow the agency to bid out all future Hub contracts separately in
order to take advantage of a highly competitive market. This change in
procurement strategy resulted in this contract award coming in on budget, and
follows the successful award of the Greenwich Street WTC Hub package. That
contract came in 28 percent under budget.

Importantly, the contract
is consistent with the schedule outlined in the October 2008 World Trade Center
Report and includes a "deck-over" solution for the construction of
the PATH Hall roof to make it possible for the Memorial Plaza – part of which
sits on that roof – to open in time for the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Previously, the Board
awarded a $338.8-million contract to DCM Erectors to furnish, fabricate and
erect 22,305 tons of structural steel for the World Trade Center Transportation
Hub. The amount of steel awarded for the Hub project is equivalent to the
entire weight of the USS New York (the Navy’s new ship), or almost twice the
amount of steel used for the new Yankee Stadium.

Port Authority Chairman
Anthony R. Coscia said, "This award ensures our continued progress on construction
of the Transportation Hub, which will serve more than 200,000 people every day,
and is critical to meeting our commitment to open the Memorial Plaza on the
10th anniversary."

Port Authority Executive
Director Chris Ward said, "This contract keeps this world-class facility
on schedule and on budget, and will help ensure we keep our commitment to
opening the 9/11 Memorial on the 10th anniversary. We look forward to
continuing the momentum on this key public transportation project, which will
serve 200,000 commuters per day, provide service on the PATH system, connect 13
different subway lines, link the World Financial Center and the ferry system,
house world-class retail and more."

The Board also authorized a
Memorandum of Understanding with the New York City Police Department to provide
traffic enforcement agent services to maintain the safe and efficient movement
of vehicles around the perimeter of the World Trade Center site.