Print
E-mail
Comment
Full speed ahead for west light rail corridor
By Tom Munds
The i's are dotted and the t’s are crossed on the contract to move into full construction on the West Corridor Light Rail Line that will run from Union Station to the Jefferson County Government Center in Golden.
Preliminary work has been under way since the middle of 2008 but this agreement between RTD and the Denver Transit Construction Group sets the total cost at $343 million so the company can assemble crews and equipment needed to launch major construction off the project.
This agreement is a milestone for RTD because it shifts construction work into high gear on the first of the FasTracks rail corridors.
FasTracks is the 12-year project to expand the metro area mass transit system. Plans were to add a total of 119 miles of light rail and commuter rail lines, enhance bus networks, transform Union Station into the metro-area transit hub, create five new Park-N-Ride facilities and improve existing transit systems and facilities. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2017.
Cal Marsella, RTD general manager, said this is an important step forward because soon people will see construction going forward on the first of the major projects in the FasTracks proposal they voted to approve in 2004.
The pace of work already under way will pick up, including setting the pedestrian bridges at Tennyson Street and Hazel Court next month.
In the near future, work will begin all along the corridor. Some of the major elements of the project include crews setting up traffic barriers on the south side of West 6th Avenue near Union Avenue so they can construct more than 3,000 feet of retaining walls.
Over the next four years, people will see construction of bridges over 6th Avenue east of Simms and Union, building of a massive overpass spanning 6th Avenue and Indiana Street plus erecting a bridge over West Colfax Avenue east of 6th Avenue.
The West Corridor is scheduled to open in 2013, about a year ahead of schedule. Once it is in operation, the trains will provide light rail service from RTD’s transit hub at Union Station to west Denver, Lakewood, the Denver Federal Center, Golden and parts of Jefferson County.
Preliminary work has been under way since the middle of 2008 but this agreement between RTD and the Denver Transit Construction Group sets the total cost at $343 million so the company can assemble crews and equipment needed to launch major construction off the project.
This agreement is a milestone for RTD because it shifts construction work into high gear on the first of the FasTracks rail corridors.
FasTracks is the 12-year project to expand the metro area mass transit system. Plans were to add a total of 119 miles of light rail and commuter rail lines, enhance bus networks, transform Union Station into the metro-area transit hub, create five new Park-N-Ride facilities and improve existing transit systems and facilities. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2017.
Cal Marsella, RTD general manager, said this is an important step forward because soon people will see construction going forward on the first of the major projects in the FasTracks proposal they voted to approve in 2004.
The pace of work already under way will pick up, including setting the pedestrian bridges at Tennyson Street and Hazel Court next month.
In the near future, work will begin all along the corridor. Some of the major elements of the project include crews setting up traffic barriers on the south side of West 6th Avenue near Union Avenue so they can construct more than 3,000 feet of retaining walls.
Over the next four years, people will see construction of bridges over 6th Avenue east of Simms and Union, building of a massive overpass spanning 6th Avenue and Indiana Street plus erecting a bridge over West Colfax Avenue east of 6th Avenue.
The West Corridor is scheduled to open in 2013, about a year ahead of schedule. Once it is in operation, the trains will provide light rail service from RTD’s transit hub at Union Station to west Denver, Lakewood, the Denver Federal Center, Golden and parts of Jefferson County.
Submit a Comment
|
You must be logged in to post a comment.
|
Not yet a registered member?
Click here to become one. |
