RTD Board approves Balfour Beatty contract for Southeast Rail Extension

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor

Denver's Regional Transportation District (RTD) Board of Directors approved a $140-million, two-phased contract award to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. to design and build the Southeast Rail Extension.

 

Design will begin during the fall with construction expected to start in spring 2016. However, the construction phase is dependent on the award of a Full Funding Grant Agreement from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Balfour Beatty Infrastructure has committed to completing construction of the line by early 2019.

“The board’s contract award is a strong symbol of how much we value the collaborative and innovative spirit of working with our regional partners,” said RTD Board Chair Chuck Sisk. “Local businesses and governments in southeast metro Denver came together to make an impressive contribution to the cost of the project.”

The Southeast Rail Extension will build an additional 2.3 miles of light rail on the existing Southeast Rail Line south of Lincoln. The extension will run along the west side of I-25 from the Lincoln Station and then cross over the highway and run along the east side of the highway to the south side of RidgeGate Parkway in Douglas County.

In addition to the end-of-line station at Ridge Gate Parkway, two more stations will be added as walk-up or neighborhood stations. One will be adjacent to the Sky Ridge Medical Center, near I-25 and RidgeGate Parkway. The other will be in the planned Lone Tree City Center east of I-25 and south of Lincoln Avenue.

“This extension will make it possible for RTD to connect people in a rapidly growing part of the metro area to the rest of the region, including Denver International Airport,” said Dave Genova, RTD’s interim general manager.

The current Southeast Rail Line is 19 miles long and connects passengers at I-25/Broadway to Lincoln Avenue in Douglas County and also runs along I-225 from I-25 to Parker Road in Aurora.

 

 

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