Dive Brief:
-
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Long Island Railroad (LIRR) and the New York State Department of Transportation have released the list of construction teams qualified to submit bids on a $2 billion third track for the LIRR, according to Railway Age.
-
The list of qualified bidders for the LIRR project includes: 3rd Track Constructors (John P. Picone Inc., Dragados USA Inc., CCA Civil Inc. and Halmar International LLC); Skanska Kiewit Posillico JV (Skanska USA Civil Northeast Inc., Kiewit Infrastructure Co. and Posillico Civil Inc.); Third Track Partners (Granite Construction Northeast Inc., Judlau Contracting Inc. and The Lane Construction Corp.); and Tutor Perini/O&G JV (Tutor Perini Corp. and O&G Industries Inc.)
-
In addition to the 10 miles of additional track, the winning team will also add sound barriers, renovate stations, add station parking, build longer train platforms and modernize other rail infrastructure like switches and signals.
Dive Insight:
The contract delivery method between the state and the successful bidder will be design-build, which proponents like New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo say saves on costs and on schedule time. Design-build is currently authorized for use in only a few circumstances, but Cuomo's new budget proposal would expand that to all state agencies, with the exception of New York Ciy.
The LIRR has an estimated ridership of more than 300,000, and the project aims to help increase rider capacity. Last year, Cuomo announced plans for a third track as part of what he called "the largest construction program in the modern history of the state." Other key projects in his initiative are a renovation of Pennsylvania Station — including an overhaul of the historic Farley Post Office building next door — and $22 billion of upstate road improvements.
Cuomo also announced an expansion to the city's primary convention and meeting venue, the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, a contract which the city has awarded to a joint venture between Lendlease and Turner Construction, as part of his program of renovations and modernization.