HDR to lead final design of Durham-Orange LRT project

Written by Maggie Lancaster, assistant editor
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HDR was chosen to lead the final design for GoTriangle's Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project.

The project, which is named for the counties it will serve in the Triangle Region of North Carolina, will be North Carolina’s first urban rail-transit system outside of the Charlotte metro. The 17.7-mile system will offer an alternative to already congested roadways as burgeoning medical and educational research continues to attract new residents. The region forecasts a double-digit population surge during the next two decades and the new system is expected to accommodate 26,000 trips per day.

“We’re proud to help GoTriangle bring the region’s first rail-transit system online as more and more people move to the region and are looking for reliable alternatives to driving,” said HDR Transit Director Tom Waldron. “It’s a privilege to be part of expanding access to employment, education, recreation and healthcare. And we’re excited about what this infrastructure will do to develop vibrant, affordable, transit-oriented communities as the light rail strengthens an already fast-growing economy.”

Total cost of the project is estimated to be $2.48 billion and will be completed in 2028. The alignment for the new line will span 16 bridge structures, accounting for more than three miles of track. HDR’s team will design all of the bridges and HDR will lead engineering and architecture for infrastructure along the entire alignment, which includes 18 stations, a maintenance facility and a parking garage. In addition to final design and project management, HDR is leading track design, traffic management, utility relocation, site planning and roadway design. HDR also performed environmental studies and geotechnical engineering in earlier phases of this project.

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