MBTA selects Green Line extension contractor

Written by Kyra Senese, Managing Editor
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The MBTA selected a winning bid for the Green Line Extension Nov. 17 from the joint venture of GLX Constructors.
MBTA

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line Extension project team held a "price opening" to choose the design-build team to carry out the Green Line Extension's design and construction work.  

 

A joint venture of GLX Constructors was the chosen team, with a price offering of $954.6 million. GLX Constructors is comprised of four firms: Fluor Enterprises, Inc., The Middlesex Corp., Herzog Contracting Corp. and Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc.

The contract, which would be executed with GLX Constructors, required approval by the MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board. 

The Fiscal and Management Control Board was asked Nov. 20 to accept the recommendation of GLX Constructors for a total contract of $1.08 billion, which includes the proposal price, six additive options and MBTA contingency. The Fiscal and Management Control Board voted unanimously Nov. 20 to approve and award the contract to GLX Constructors.

In addition to track infrastructure and seven station stops, construction is set to include platform canopies, additional elevators at select stations, public art, additional community connection to the community path located on Chester Street in Somerville, the extension of the community path between East Somerville and Lechmere Stations and an enhanced vehicle maintenance facility in Somerville.

“The Green Line Extension is back on track thanks to months of hard work and collaboration,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack. “We have a redesigned project we can afford and the right team to get it built to that the many benefits of GLX can be delivered to residents and businesses of Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford.”

The affordability limit set for the project—including contingency—is $1.3 billion.

Since the Green Line Extension Project was put on hold due to cost overruns about two years ago, the MBTA has redesigned and restructured the delivery model for service to Cambridge, Somerville and Medford in 2021.

After seeking qualifications from interested firms, the final step in the procurement process was the opening of the price proposals from the two remaining design-build teams.

The MBTA said it used a “best value” evaluation model to select the team to deliver the future Green Line service.

The process required the use of a state-mandated formula in which the price offered by a team is divided by the team’s “Quality Score,” an assignment of points based upon the team’s response to the Requests for Proposals.

The MBTA also said it has implemented measures to institute strict cost controls throughout the procurement. By implementing an affordability limit—the maximum allowable price for a proposal—and incentives for the inclusion of additive scope options, the MBTA said it procured the maximum project benefits without risking the project’s budget.

“We could not have asked for a better outcome from today’s price opening,” said Green Line Extension Project Manager John Dalton. “The difficult decisions in 2015 and 2016 following the project’s shutdown in 2015 have paved the way for getting us to this point. All of the effort that has gotten us to this point is well worth it. We now look forward to working with the residents, businesses, community stakeholders, and the successful design-build team to completing the project on time and on budget.”

The contract, which would be executed with GLX Constructors, includes a scope of work and “additive options” that were only to be included if they could be completed within the project schedule and affordability limit.

The additive options set to be included in the GLX Project include: platform canopies; additional elevators at select stations; public art; an additional connection to the community path located on Chester Street in Somerville; the extension of the community path between East Somerville and Lechmere Stations; and an enhanced vehicle maintenance facility in Somerville.

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