SEPTA Awards $124.9M Contract for King of Prussia Rail Final Design
Written by Kyra Senese, Managing Editor
SEPTA has awarded HNTB Corporation a consultant contract for the final design phase of the KOP Rail project.
SEPTA
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority on Feb. 23 awarded HNTB Corporation a consultant contract for the final design phase of the King of Prussia Rail Project.
The consulting contract award was recognized by SEPTA as a significant milestone for the project, which will extend the existing Norristown High Speed Line four miles into King of Prussia, providing a “one-seat” ride from any station along the high-speed line, including the 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby and the Norristown Transportation Center.
SEPTA Board Chairman Pasquale T. Deon Sr. said in a statement that KOP Rail will connect the three largest employment hubs in the region—Center City, University City, and King of Prussia.
“Frequent and reliable transit service is necessary for our region’s economy to recover and grow,” Deon Sr. said.
The total contract awarded for Basic Design and Construction Documentation (Phase A) and Construction Related Services (Phase B) amounts to about $124.9 million, according to a release.
SEPTA said the contract awarded to HNTB will move the engineering and architectural design from 30% to final design, which is required for the project to be eligible for funding from the Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts Capital Investment Grant.
The agency’s Capital Budget for Fiscal Year 2023 commits $390 million to KOP Rail, and the authority said it will seek a Capital Investment Grant to cover up to 60% of the total project cost.
“The future of KOP Rail is contingent on the significant state and local resources that are needed to leverage potential federal investments,” said SEPTA General Manager and CEO Leslie S. Richards. “Adequate state and local funding is critical to advance SEPTA’s capital projects, and investing in transit is an investment in our region and the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
Construction on the KOP Rail project is expected to start in 2025 if full funding is secured, SEPTA said.
Additional information about SEPTA’s KOP Rail project is available here.
