Project Description
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:
- 29 new bridges (LRT, pedestrian, roadway, and freight rail)
- Modification of seven existing bridges
- Six pedestrian tunnels
- Two cut-and-cover LRT tunnels
- 117 retaining walls
- 153,000 TF of track
Illustrative design plans are available on the current plans page. Information on obtaining detailed engineering plans and specifications is available in the Prime Construction Contracts section below.
Prime Construction Contracts
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.
Contract Procurement Status
- Invitation for Bids 15P307A, "Green Line Extension (Southwest LRT) Civil Construction was released on October 30, 2017. See below for more information.