First Contract for Foothill Gold Line Light Rail Extension is Completed Under Budget and Ahead of Schedule

MONROVIA, Calif., Aug. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority (Construction Authority) announced completion of the $2.6 million Utility Relocation design-bid-build contract, awarded to W.A. Rasic Construction Company, Inc. (Rasic) in September 2017. Over the last 11 months, Rasic crews successfully relocated and/or protected a dozen strategically-located sewer and water lines that cross the railroad corridor where the Foothill Gold Line is being built. Today's announcement marks the successful completion of the first of three contracts to be awarded over the life of the $1.5 billion, six-station Foothill Gold Line light rail extension from Glendora to Montclair. The project will add new Metro Gold Line stations in the cities of Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont and Montclair.

"The utility work went very smoothly and was completed two months ahead of schedule," stated Construction Authority CEO, Habib F. Balian. "We were very pleased with Rasic's work, which helps pave the way for the main design-build contractor to begin work as soon as they are ready."

Procurement for the Alignment design-build contract began in November 2017 and will include all work on the 12.3-mile light rail extension with the exception of parking. Proposals are due on September 12, and the Construction Authority anticipates awarding the contract later this year. Major construction is expected to begin in early 2020 and consist of two construction phrases. First, the Alignment contractor will rebuild and relocate the freight and Metrolink systems that currently operate in the middle of the rail corridor. Once the relocation is done, crews will build the light rail system. Completion is expected in 2026.

"This is an early success for the project and for our funding partners," added Balian. "Getting this work done ahead of the main design-build team being hired reduces risk for the four shortlisted bidding teams and hopefully reduces their final bid prices and keeps the project within our current estimates."

The Foothill Gold Line light rail project is being funded by local county sales tax measures and the State of California. The portion of the project within Los Angeles County (Glendora to Claremont) is being mostly funded by LA Metro's Measure M, with just under $100 million in Measure R funding designated for the project. The portion from Claremont to Montclair is being funded by San Bernardino County's Measure I. In April 2018, the project received nearly $300 million from the State of California's Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, a grant program funded by SB1 and the State's Cap and Trade Auction. State funds will be used to fill the estimated funding gap needed to complete the project in both counties.

About the Foothill Gold Line - The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority is an independent transportation planning and construction agency created in 1998 by the California State Legislature to plan, design and build the Metro Gold Line light rail system from Union Station to Montclair. The agency completed the first segment from Union Station to Pasadena in 2003 and the Pasadena to Azusa segment in 2015; both on time and under budget. The agency began work on the Foothill Gold Line from Glendora to Montclair in 2003. The Glendora to Montclair project was environmentally cleared under CEQA in March 2013 and completed advanced conceptual engineering in 2016. The project was the first Measure M-funded project to break ground.

SOURCE Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority