ST. PAUL – May 12, 2010 – Contractor crews will begin working this fall on elements of the western three miles of the 11-mile Central Corridor LRT Project.
In September, they will begin prep work to retrofit the Washington Avenue bridge to accommodate light-rail trains by reconstructing the bridge piers. In December, they will start work to tie in the Central Corridor line from the Hiawatha LRT line just west of the Cedar-Riverside Station to Pleasant Street on the East Bank. The bulk of the Civil West contract work, though, will start in spring 2011.
The complete Civil West schedule from west to east:
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East of the Metrodome to Pleasant Street (including Washington Avenue bridge work), December 2010-November 2012
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Washington Avenue bridge foundation work, September 2010-December 2010
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Pleasant to Oak Street, May 2011-August 2012 (includes building the transit-pedestrian mall on the East Bank and the East Bank Station)
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Oak Street intersection, May 2011-November 2011
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Oak to 29th Avenue, March 2012-November 2012 (includes reconstructing the Huron Boulevard intersection and building the Stadium Village and 29th Avenue stations
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Transitway reconstruction, May 2011-August 2011
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29th Avenue to Emerald Street, March 2012-November 2012 (includes reconstructing University Avenue west of Highway 280)
The Civil West work includes:
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Constructing three miles of double track
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Modifying the Washington Avenue bridge
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Building four LRT stations (West Bank, East Bank, Stadium Village and 29th Avenue stations.)
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Reconstructing sidewalks and streets, including the Huron Boulevard and University Avenue intersections
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Constructing a transit-pedestrian mall on Washington Avenue on the East Bank
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Building a new flyover bridge over Interstate 35W where Central Corridor tracks will join the Hiawatha line just west of the Cedar-Riverside Station and east of the Metrodome.
The Civil West construction bids are to be opened July 27, and the Metropolitan Council is expected to award the contract Aug. 25.
Meanwhile, the Civil East construction bids are to be opened May 18, and the Met Council is to award the contract June 23. As previously announced, construction will begin in August east of the Capitol and north of Interstate 94. For Civil East construction details, see the March 10 news release: http://www.metrocouncil.org/transportation/ccorridor/newsrel/CCLRTnewsrelConstructionMar102010.pdf
Work will begin this month on streets around the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis to prepare them to receive more traffic when Washington Avenue is closed to cars and trucks and converted into a transit-pedestrian mall.
More specific schedule information will be available once the Civil West and East contractors are hired and the work schedules are developed. The project office has created an online form for the public to sign up for weekly emailed construction updates and a monthly newsletter.
Other contracts still to be awarded are for systems (train signal systems, communications and traction power/electrical) light rail vehicles, fare collection and the operations and maintenance facility.
About the Central Corridor LRT Project
The Central Corridor Light Rail Transit Project linking downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis via Washington and University avenues will link downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis along Washington and University avenues via the state Capitol and University of Minnesota. Construction will begin in 2010 on the planned 11-mile Central Corridor line, with service beginning in 2014. The line will connect with the Hiawatha LRT line at the Metrodome station in Minneapolis and the Northstar commuter rail line at the new Target Field Station. The Metropolitan Council would be the grantee of federal funds. The regional government agency is charged with building the line in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The Central Corridor Management Committee, which includes the mayors of St. Paul and Minneapolis, commissioners from Ramsey and Hennepin counties and the University of Minnesota, provides advice and oversight.