Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority Awards Construction Manager Contract for Metro A Line Extension to Claremont

Foothill Gold Line Authority

MONROVIA, Calif. - The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority board of directors awarded the construction manager contract for the 2.3-mile Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension to SSH Joint Venture.

SSH Joint Venture (SSH) is made up of Skanska USA Civil West California District Inc., Stacy and Witbeck, Inc., and Herzog Contracting Corp. According to the release, the procurement process was competitive with bids from four teams. SSH had ranked highest of the four after evaluation of written proposals, in-person interviews, and cost. Each team was evaluated on the following criteria: management approach; interview performance, experience, personnel, and performance; approach to working with Metrolink/SCRRA in a complex corridor; and its approach to light rail. This contract is the second to be awarded to deliver the project using the Construction Manager At Risk (CMAR) delivery method. This delivery method was adopted by the board last year.

During the 18-month preconstruction phase, SSH will be responsible for supporting design efforts that are currently underway by Parson Transportation Group. The contract award is authorized for $6.3 million. SSH will also be responsible for providing “constructability reviews, value engineering, third-party coordination and cost estimating.” Foot Hill Gold Line Authority says once the project reaches 85% design completion, SSH will have the option of building the project if it can negotiate a construction services contract “with an acceptable price” by Fall 2027. A full cost won’t be possible until then, the procurement process had to use a “formula that compared the four teams based on their reconstruction phase cost proposals and profit and overhead figures,” says Foothill Gold Line. SSH subsequently had the “best value” approach.

The project is expected to start major construction in late 2027 and take an estimated four years to complete. Separately, Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority board of directors also voted to approve an amendment to the Master Cooperative Agreement (MCA) it has with LA Metro. The Agreement “lays out the roles and responsibilities of each agency” over the course of design, construction, and testing of the project. The Construction Authority says it will turn over the completed project to LA Metro for operations. The amendment clarifies how the Agreement would apply a CMAR delivery method, and it is on the Metro’s board of directors’ agenda for approval.

“Today’s award is a major step forward to getting the Metro A Line to Claremont,” stated Foothill Gold Line Board Chair and Claremont Vice Mayor Ed Reece. “SSH is a highly experienced team, and they will put that know-how to work over the next year to support the final project design, currently being developed by Parsons, to ensure the design is optimized for constructability and effectiveness; while also becoming deeply engaged in all aspects of the project’s planning, so they can provide the Construction Authority a price to build the project that eliminates unnecessary risk and is based on the most efficient construction plan possible.”

“The Construction Authority was looking for a team that would not only provide great value during the initial preconstruction phase, but one that would do an excellent job building the project if they are successful at negotiating a construction contract with us next year, and I am pleased that we had a highly competitive procurement that saw four qualified teams vying for the work,” added Chair Reece. “We are confident that SSH is an excellent selection, and we look forward to their efforts in the months ahead that will support the best design possible while also developing the best approach to building this important regional project.”