SFMTA opens bidding for Central Subway work

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has opened biding for a contract to construct the stations, track and operating systems for the Central Subway.

The estimated $720-to $750-million contract includes construction of three subway stations, one surface-level station, train tracks and other components of the T Third Line extension through SoMa, Union Square and Chinatown.

The contract includes work that was previously divided into four separate construction contracts. Based on the current status of the overall program and experience to date, combining the contracts will allow the program to save time and money by eliminating constraints involved in coordinating and integrating four separate construction packages. It will also provide for a stronger and more consistent program to provide opportunities for small businesses and local residents seeking jobs.

“By providing much-needed job training for out-of-work San Franciscans and incorporating strong Small Business Enterprise participation goals, the Central Subway will benefit our community long before it is in service,” said San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee. “As we build this crucial addition to our public transit system, this major contract will contribute greatly to our local economy.”

Combining the contracts has no impact on the program’s $1.6 billion budget. Bids for the contract are due January 23, 2013.

A pre-bid conference for the contract is scheduled for November 27. A meet-and-greet for prospective prime contractors and SBE firms will be held by the end of the year.

The Central Subway Project will extend the T Third Line from the 4th Street Caltrain Station to Chinatown, providing a direct, rapid transit link from the Bayshore and Mission Bay areas to SoMa and downtown. Four new stations will be built along the 1.7-mile Central Subway Project alignment, a street-level station and three subway stations.

The $1.6 billion project will be funded using a variety of federal, state and local sources, including $942.2 million from the federal New Starts program. Of the total New Starts investment, $177 million has already been awarded to the Central Subway Project and a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) was awarded in October 2012.

The Central Subway is expected to open to the public in 2019.

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