The METRO Green Line Extension (Southwest LRT) project will operate from downtown Minneapolis through the communities of St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie, passing in close proximity to the city of Edina. It will be part of an integrated system of transitways, including connections to the METRO Blue Line, the Northstar Commuter Rail line, major bus routes and proposed future transitways.
The proposed alignment includes approximately eight miles of freight rail corridor, which is owned and operated by three private carriers and one public railroad authority, and 6.5 miles of greenfield land, which includes wetlands, undulating topography and roadways. The route involves five cities, one county, and four watershed districts.
Areas of unstable soils and soil contamination are present along the proposed route, with compressible soils chiefly in the western portion of the alignment. The route includes cut-and-cover LRT tunnels under Trunk Hwy. 62 in Eden Prairie (580 feet) and in the Kenilworth Corridor area of Minneapolis (2,200 feet).
The project includes 15 new passenger stations, plus one station deferred for later construction, and 44 new or modified structures:
Illustrative design plans are available on the design plans page. Information on obtaining detailed engineering plans and specifications is available in the Prime Construction Contracts section below.
The visualization videos below show a flyover view of the project design and existing conditions in the project area. The "Civil Construction Videos" section below provides additional information on key construction elements for civil contractors.
This existing conditions simulation tour of the METRO Green Line Extension begins at SouthWest Station in Eden Prairie and follows the light rail route to downtown Minneapolis. This video is provided in lieu of any contractor site tour.
This virtual flyover tour of the METRO Green Line Extension begins at SouthWest Station in Eden Prairie and follows the light rail route to downtown Minneapolis. Along the way, the flyover shows stations and key design features of the new LRT line.
The Metropolitan Council plans to issue three major construction contract packages for bid in 2017: Civil Construction, Systems, and Operations and Maintenance Facility. The timing of contract procurement activities listed below is subject to change.
Invitation for Bids (IFB) 15P307A, “Green Line Extension (Southwest LRT) Civil Construction” is available on the Metropolitan Council website.
IFB 15P307A supersedes IFB 15P307. On September 20, 2017, the Metropolitan Council voted to authorize the Regional Administrator to reject all bids received under IFB 15P307.
The Metropolitan Council hosted a civil construction contract pre-bid meeting and meet-and-greet for potential prime contractors and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms on November 13, 2017.
In addition to the bidding information on the Metropolitan Council website, a printed set of bidding documents is available for public viewing at the Southwest LRT Project Office, 6465 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 500, St. Louis Park, MN 55426. Please call 612-373-3800 to schedule a viewing.
These short videos assist potential bidders with their understanding of certain aspects of the Project. The videos below provide an overview of selected construction items:
"Invitation for Bids (IFB) 17P000, Systems Construction for the Green Line Extension (Southwest LRT) Project” is available on the Metropolitan Council website.
The Metropolitan Council is hosted a systems contract pre-bid meeting and meet-and-greet for potential prime contractors and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms on March 19, 2019.
In addition to the bidding information on the Metropolitan Council website, a printed set of bidding documents is available for public viewing at the Southwest LRT Project Office, 6465 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 500, St. Louis Park, MN 55426. Please call 612-373-3800 to schedule a viewing. SWLRT Systems Pre-Bid Presntation.pdf Online Event Registration.pdf Onsite Event Registration.pdf
Firms selected for the prime construction contracts will subcontract for a wide variety of construction-related services and materials. Construction of the METRO Green Line (Central Corridor LRT) involved subcontractors and materials suppliers from across Minnesota.
The Metropolitan Council hosted a Construction Contracting Kick-off event in October 2015 to give firms an opportunity to learn more about the contract procurement process and help connect potential prime contractors with firms interested in subcontracting opportunities. The presentation slides [PDF] and list of attendees [PDF] from the event are available.
The federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program aims to increase the participation of women-owned and minority-owned companies in publicly funded construction projects. The Metropolitan Council, as the regional agency leading construction of the Southwest LRT project, sets goals for the participation of women-owned and minority-owned firms.
Small businesses that are eligible for DBE certification are encouraged to participate in the Minnesota Unified Certification Program (MNUCP) in order to take advantage of light rail construction contracting opportunities for certified firms.
For more information about the DBE Program, contact:
Jon Vang, Workforce Specialist, phone: 612-373-3913, email: [email protected].
Green Line Extension Project Office Park Place West Building, Suite 500 6465 Wayzata Boulevard St. Louis Park, MN 55426