Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has begun the advanced utility relocation work for the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor construction project, which is the first contract awarded under LACMTA’s new Project Labor Agreement, a pact between LACMTA and the building trades to implement a targeted hiring program that will help provide jobs to economically disadvantaged workers.
AECOM was named lead design subconsultant to a joint venture contracted to design, build and finance a spur line and passenger station as part of Ontario’s Air Rail Link (ARL). The ARL will connect the existing Georgetown GO transit line and link the city’s two busiest transportation hubs – Union Station downtown and Toronto Pearson International Airport.
BNSF plans to invest an estimated $306 million on maintenance and rail capacity improvements in California, Minnesota and North Dakota in 2012.
BNSF plans to invest an estimated $111 million on maintenance and rail capacity improvement projects in Montana this year.
BNSF plans to invest an estimated $30 million on maintenance and rail capacity improvement projects in South Dakota this year.
The Denver, Colo., Regional Transportation District will open the West Rail Line to the public on April 26, 2013, eight months ahead of the originally scheduled opening date. The West Rail Line is the first FasTracks project to be completed and part of the current $4.2 billion investment in the region. Presently, 50 miles of new rail line are in construction or under contract to begin construction.
BNSF plans to invest an estimated $199 million on maintenance and rail capacity improvement and expansion projects in Texas this year.
The Illinois Department of Transportation and Union Pacific are upgrading Illinois’ high-speed route, Chicago-St. Louis, for future high-speed Amtrak trains. The improvements for 110-mph service include the installation of new premium rail with concrete ties and ballast; upgrades to bridges, culverts and drainage; signal and wayside equipment installations and upgrades and roadway-rail grade crossing improvements.
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority Long Island Rail Road plans to invest $211.5 million in Main Line infrastructure improvements, including a $55 million facelift for Hicksville Station. Other projects include a new bridge in Westbury and track drainage fix in Mineola.
Trimet in Portland, Ore., has been awarded $85 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help complete the Portland to Milwaukie light-rail line.
The North Carolina Railroad Company, the Charlotte Area Transit System and Norfolk Southern signed lease, construction and operating agreements for the LYNX Blue Line Extension light-rail project along the North Carolina Railroad corridor. The 2.7-mile section begins near East 12th Street and ends a half mile east of Eastway Drive in Charlotte, N.C.
BNSF Railway Company plans to invest an estimated $242 million on maintenance and rail capacity enhancement and expansion projects in Kansas and an additional $130 million in Missouri this year.
The Surface Transportation Board approved the request of Iowa Pacific Holdings, LLC, for common carrier status, which will allow them to reopen the Tahawus Line between North Creek and Newcomb, N.Y., and resume hauling freight to and from businesses along that line.
New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority has completed the work that transformed the southern terminal of the A Line into a sparkling, steel and glass, state-of-the art transit facility and was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by MTA leaders and local elected officials.
Construction of the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit project in Minnesota is 50 percent complete and on track to be 75 percent done by year’s end.
“The contractors really hit the ground running in March. We now have work occurring in all areas of the nearly 10-mile long project, employing more than 3,000 workers to date,” Metropolitan Council Chair Sue Haigh said.
The Denver Regional Transportation District, the Colorado Department of Transportation and SEMA Construction broke ground on RTD’s I-225 Light Rail Line extension. This kicks off construction on the first segment of the light-rail project from Nine Mile to Iliff.
A final agreement of $15.8 million for the West Detroit Connection Track project has been made. The project will eliminate congestion for Detroit-area Amtrak passengers by addressing a bottleneck that comes from serving both freight and passenger rail on the same tracks.
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Long Island Rail Road will be replacing wood ties on the Ronkonkoma Branch between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma beginning May 14. The work will be completed in three phases to minimize customer impact. When completed by the end of the summer, the work will help ensure greater service reliability and a smoother, more comfortable ride for customers.
The Board of Directors of Metrolinx in Toronto, Canada, voted unanimously to proceed with the implementation of the Toronto Transit Plan as originally approved by Metrolinx on May 19, 2010, consisting of the following projects:
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood will be in Utah Wednesday, May 9, for an official groundbreaking on the Sugar House streetcar project. He will be joined by elected officials and community leaders to celebrate this special occasion.