148 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

Minneapolis, MN Star-Tribune, 3/31/15:

 

SW LRT rift over Kenilworth corridor plays out in court

 

The battle over the biggest public transit project in Minnesota history shifted Wednesday to a federal courtroom in Minneapolis, where attorneys fought over whether it was too soon for a lawsuit from critics of the proposed route of the Southwest light rail.

That is the story.

[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading, 4/27:

 

Minneapolis' Green Line Extension to cost more; opening delayed to 2020

 

Test results and project delays have increased the total cost of the Minneapolis area's Southwest light-rail transit (LRT) project to nearly $2 billion, the Metropolitan Council announced this morning.

 

The added $341 million in costs are primarily related to poor ground conditions along the Southwest route and soil contamination in St. Louis Park and Hopkins, Minn. Additionally, the line's proposed opening has been delayed a year to 2020, council officials said in a press release.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

Minneapolis "Metropolitan Council" news release:

Test results, delays increase total cost of Southwest LRT project to $2 billion

Posted In: Transportation

Date: 4/27/2015

 

Analysis released today by the Metropolitan Council (Council) concludes that test results and project delays have increased the cost of the Southwest LRT Project to $1.994 billion – a $341 million increase. The additional costs are primarily related to poor ground conditions along the Southwest LRT line and soil contamination in St. Louis Park and Hopkins. The Council analysis also determined that the Southwest LRT Project would not open until 2020, instead of late 2019. 

 

“The additional costs for the Southwest LRT Project pose significant challenges for our funding partners and taxpayers,” said Adam Duininck, Chairman of the Metropolitan Council. “I will be talking with our funding partners, local communities, and legislative leaders to determine the future of this project – all options are on the table.”

 

Background on cost increase, delay

 

The Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) was originally to be published in January 2014, and is now expected to be published in late May by the Federal Transit Administration in cooperation with the Council project office. As a result, the project’s completion has moved from 2019 to 2020.

 

The delay was a result of additional engineering and environmental studies, from December 2014 through the beginning of this spring, as part of the Council’s due diligence on the Southwest LRT project. Engineers and environmental consultants conducted additional tests to determine the nature of the soils' ability to support structures and to determine the limits of wetlands and floodplains to be impacted by construction. The Council used this additional data to update the original $1.653 billion cost estimate to $1.994 billion.

 

When the Council began designing the Southwest LRT line in early 2013 following completion of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, only 1 percent level of detail was available, which is standard at that point in the process. Once local and some state funds were committed to pay for engineering and environmental work, engineers conducted additional tests, which advanced the level of detail to 30 percent. This phase is when the greatest level of change occurs in a project due to underground testing results, which eliminates many engineering unknowns. 

Summary of additional costs identified through testing and engineering: 

• 80% increase in retaining walls identified, as well as bridges and connecting roads
• Design refinement due to additional poor ground conditions corridor-wide and soil contamination in St. Louis Park and Hopkins
• Design refinement due to additional impacted wetlands, flood plains and drainage areas, mostly in Eden Prairie
• 11 additional acres of property acquisitions identified (from 126 to 137 acres) due to refined design and established construction limits, and 99 additional business relocations (from 47 to 146 relocations) due to refined design and determined building occupancy
• Design refinement to address light rail and freight rail operational and safety requirements including five gated LRT crossings and improvements at five shared LRT/freight crossings.

"As we weigh our options, I have directed our engineers and contractors to pursue every possible efficiency to achieve cost savings” said Chair Duininck.

 

[KevinKorell]

MINNEAPOLIS — Metro Transit’s Southwest light-rail line, already the state’s largest transportation project, may be in peril now that its price tag has ballooned to close to $2 billion, reported the StarTribune.

The escalating costs for the 16-mile line from Minneapolis to Eden Prairie provoked Gov. Mark Dayton to express “serious questions about its viability and affordability,” while Metropolitan Council Chair Adam Duininck did not rule out the possibility that the project could be scuttled.

The escalating costs are driven by poor ground conditions along its pathway from downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie, as well as soil contamination in St. Louis Park and Hopkins. For the full story, click here.

 

Follow @lctmag on Twitter

View the full article

[KevinKorell]

Minneapolis, MN Star-Tribune, 5/7/15:

Transit board and others urge restraint in Southwest light-rail price tag

 

Elected officials Wednesday were unified in their support of the Southwest light-rail line — but not of its new $2 billion price tag.

Full story here.

[KevinKorell]

Progressive Railroading, 5/22/15:

 

Twin Cities' Metropolitan Council unveils environmental statement for Green Line Extension

 

 

The Twin Cities' Metropolitan Council yesterday released a supplemental draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for a 16-mile extension of the Green Line light-rail system.

 

Update

[KevinKorell]

Minneapolis, MN Star-Tribune, 6/29/15:

 

Beyond cost cuts, Southwest light rail faces new barriers

 

As prospective rail commuters and civic leaders wait in hope for a light-rail line to link southwestern suburbs with downtown Minneapolis, policymakers are furiously crunching the numbers to arrive at a price that will ensure the embattled Southwest line stays alive. The current $2 billion cost has to come down by at least $341 million to keep even supporters like Gov. Mark Dayton on board, let alone rail-resistant Republican legislators.

That item

[KevinKorell]

Minneapolis, MN Star-Tribune, 7/1/15:

 

Southwest light-rail advisory committee recommends cuts to save line

 

Two months ago, after the Southwest light-rail line’s budget ballooned to $2 billion, the project appeared deeply troubled, and maybe even dead.

 

But after a week of feverish negotiations, a new plan was embraced by a Metropolitan Council advisory committee on Wednesday to cut $250 million from the transit project, in part by ending the line at the Southwest station transit hub in Eden Prairie.

Update

[Sloan]

 

 

Hennepin County approves more funds for Southwest light rail

 

The Hennepin County Board on Tuesday became the first public body to kick in additional funds — in this case, $8 million — to support the cash-starved Southwest light-rail line.

http://www.startribu...rail/312325421/

[KevinKorell]

Progressive Railroading, 7/24/15:

 

Metropolitan Council seeks public approval on Green Line extension cuts

 

The Twin Cities-area Metropolitan Council yesterday agreed to reinstate the municipal consent process for a slimmed-down plan regarding the Green Line light-rail extension, which also is known as the Southwest Light-Rail Transit (LRT) project.

See this one here.