The initial phase of $ 7.1 million from a light railway line for the city of Austin, Texas, took a step towards reality on June 5, with the beginning of a process of purchasing a two -step design construction construction that aims to begin construction by 2027.
Austin Transit Partnership (ATP), a public corporation created by the city of Austin and the capital transport authority to monitor the funding, design, construction and general implementation of the program, issued a qualifications application for almost 10 kilometers design and construction services, 15 kilometers, through the city center. The route will also include a new bridge through Lake Lady Bird and several kilometers of new pedestrian cycling paths.
RFQ answers are due on July 3, after which ATP says that qualified companies will be invited to participate in a complete application of proposals (RFP) that evaluates the team’s experience, approach and cost, which an ATP spokesman said that about $ 3 billion was currently calculated. The final design and construction contract is planned for the concession in early 2026.
According to ATP, the selected design design team will help to shape and build almost all aspects of the system, including the transitorial, the tracks, the systems, the stations, the bridges, the traffic signs, the utilities, the drainage structures and the landscape of streets “through the beginning of the intended passenger service 2033.
ATP has already played AECOM as a delivery partner for the project, providing various services that include program management, administration, controls, design and management of post-construction management and management during the final design, construction and launch of the service.
ATP points out that the use of the delivery of progressive design design will facilitate close collaboration with industry members through innovative design solutions that balance the technical requirements with the unique need of Austin, a design focused on an efficient construction to minimize interruptions in other travel modes and the integration of the most recent construction costs in the design of the project to ensure the design of the project aligned with the project.
“Austin Light Rail is a mega project of infrastructure that will offer qualified companies in Texas and beyond a competitive opportunity to provide the necessary materials and services to deliver the project,” said ATP’s CEO, Greg Canally, in a statement. “This final design and construction contract joins the ATP model to collaborate with the private sector to attract the highest talent to deliver a world -class light -class rail system for Austin.”
The project financing includes about $ 2 billion estimated revenue from a 2020 referendum, which runs a portion on local property taxes on design and construction costs. Last year, ATP began the process of qualifying the project to finance the Capital Investment Investment Program of the Federal Traffic Administration.
The scope of the current light railway project, detailed in the environmental impact statement project published earlier this year, is about half of its original concept, largely due to post-paid cost climbing. Items such as a center tunnel and a quick improved bus service were gradually eliminated from the plan, giving rise to the light route of the entire 9.8 miles surface approved by 2023 by the City Council of Austin. The ATP states that the current plan provides flexibility for future extensions, including one at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and another at a traffic center on the north side of the city.
Over the last two years, the ATP and the city have faced various demands endorsed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, which seeks to block the design and construction of the project until voters have the opportunity to weigh the reduced plan. An appeal court dismissed these challenges last fall. Various measures proposed to cancel the ATP financing mechanism introduced in the 2023 and 2025 sessions of the state legislature have also been unsuccessful.
