21 replies to this topic

[CNJRoss]

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority News Release:

April 19, 2013

Airports Authority Opens Contractor Price Proposals for Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project
Next Segment of Silver Line Moves Closer to Construction

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority on Friday opened and publicly read price proposals from five pre-qualified contractor teams seeking to build the major portion of Phase 2 of the Silver Line. Phase 2 is an 11.4-mile segment of the Silver Line, consisting of six stations and running from Reston, Va., through Washington Dulles International Airport and into Ashburn in eastern Loudoun County, Va. The entire Silver Line will extend 23 miles, connecting to Metrorail’s existing Orange Line.

An award of this Phase 2 contract will occur after a review to validate that each proposal properly responds to the solicitation. This final review process will take place after the Friday, April 19, price proposal submission.

“Today is a significant step toward the selection of the design-build contractor for Phase 2,” said Pat Nowakowski, Executive Director of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. “It moves us even closer to completing one of the nation’s major public transportation projects.”

The names of the teams and their price proposals for the design-build contract, which were read in public, are listed in alphabetical order:

Bechtel Transit Partners
Bechtel Infrastructure Corporation
Price Proposal: $1,191,978,777.00

Capital Rail Constructors
Clark Construction Group, LLC
Kiewit Infrastructure South Co.
Price Proposal: $1,177,777,000.00

Dulles APC Railbuilders
Archer Western Contractors, LLC
PCL Civil Constructors, Inc.
Corman Construction, Inc.
Price Proposal: $1,285,000,000.00

Dulles Metrorail Connectors
Skanska USA Civil Southeast / Granite Construction Company
G.A. & F.C. Wagman, Inc. / Trumbull Corporation
Facchina Construction Company, Inc.
Price Proposal: $1,325,470,000.00

Silver Line Constructors
Fluor Enterprises, Inc. / Tutor Perini Corporation / Stacy and Witbeck, Inc.
Price Proposal: $1,378,646,479.00
The price proposals were submitted as part of a competitive procurement, which began in July 2012. In March of this year, these teams submitted technical proposals that were found to meet the technical requirements of the contract. Contract award is expected in May, with a notice to proceed anticipated in July.

“As part of this substantial price competition, we have been involved in an extensive, collaborative process with some of the most qualified and successful engineering and construction companies in the world,” Nowakowski said.

This contract is the largest of three total design-build packages for Phase 2 and represents approximately 50% of Phase 2 work. The stations are at Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Route 606 and Route 772/Ashburn. This contract does not include the rail yard, garages or professional services.

Phase 1 of the project is currently under construction and is now 90 percent complete. Construction of Phase 2 is anticipated to be completed in 2018.

The Silver Line project is being undertaken in partnership with Loudoun and Fairfax counties and the Commonwealth of Virginia, and will be transferred to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for operation upon completion.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority was established in 1987 by the governments of Virginia and the District of Columbia to manage and operate Washington’s Ronald Reagan National and Dulles International airports, which together serve more than 40 million passengers a year. The Airports Authority also operates and maintains the Dulles Airport Access Road and the Dulles Toll Road and manages construction of the Silver Line project, a 23-mile extension of the Washington region’s Metrorail system into Loudoun County, Va. No taxpayer money is used to operate the toll road, which is funded by toll revenues, or the airports, which are funded through aircraft landing fees, rents and revenues from concessions. The Silver Line construction is funded by a combination of toll-road revenues, airport contributions and federal, state and local government appropriations. The Airports Authority is led by a 17- member board of directors appointed by the governors of Virginia, Maryland, the mayor of Washington, D.C., and the president of the United States.

###

[CNJRoss]

WTOP radio, 4/20:

Companies bid billions on Phase 2 of Silver Line

WASHINGTON - It's one of the largest infrastructure projects in the country, and on Friday, the bids for the second phase of the Silver Line were unveiled.

The construction from Reston to Loudoun County will cost less than expected. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority announced all five contract bids came in under the $1.4-$1.6 billion cost guidelines.

SNIP

MWAA will announce the contract winner in May.

Continue.

[CNJRoss]

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) news release, 5/15:

Airports Authority Awards Contract for Phase 2 of the Silver Line

May Board Meeting Includes Next Steps of Phase 2;
New Employees Added to Airports Authority Leadership Team

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, at its May board meeting, announced the award of the major design-build portion of Phase 2 of Silver Line to Capital Rail Constructors, a joint venture consisting of Clark Construction Group and Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. The contract, which was officially awarded on May 14, formally names the team to design and build the 11.4-mile segment of the Silver Line, consisting of six stations and running from Reston, Va., through Washington Dulles International Airport and into Ashburn in eastern Loudoun County, Va.

"This is the first of many milestones to come for the second phase of the Silver Line," said Jack Potter, President and CEO. "The Phase 2 contract, awarded through a competitive bid process, and with the coordination and collaboration of our project partners, is moving forward to construction. Its completion will improve the transportation options for those traveling through the region and serve as a major driver for the local economy."

This contract is the largest of several Phase 2 procurement packages and represents approximately 50 percent of Phase 2 work. The stations are at Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Route 606 and Route 772/Ashburn.

The Silver Line project is being undertaken in partnership with Loudoun and Fairfax counties and the Commonwealth of Virginia, and will be transferred to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for operation upon completion.

Phase 1 of the project, which runs from Falls Church, Va., to Wiehle Ave. in Reston, Va., is currently under construction and is now more than 90 percent complete. Construction of Phase 2 is anticipated to be completed in 2018.

Other business at the monthly Board meeting included the appointment of two senior leadership positions at the Airports Authority. Anthony Vegliante was named the new vice president for human resources and Goutam Kundu will serve as the new vice president for technology.

"We welcome the addition of these individuals to the Airports Authority and look forward to filling these two important positions on our senior management team," said Chairman Michael Curto. "They bring a breadth of knowledge to the Airports Authority from their respective areas of expertise and we look forward to working with them in their roles." For more information about Vegliante and Kundu, visit www.mwaa.com/6148.htm.

The Airports Authority board also approved a contract with Jacobs Engineering, a support services firm utilized during Phase 1 of the Silver Line, to continue providing project management services during Phase 2. Additionally, rental car concessions contracts were approved for Dulles International Airport. Rental companies include Advantage, Avis, Budget, Dollar/Thrifty, Enterprise, Hertz and Vanguard (Alamo/National). The new contract is scheduled to begin July 1.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority was established in 1987 by the governments of Virginia and the District of Columbia to manage and operate Washington's Ronald Reagan National and Dulles International airports, which together serve more than 40 million passengers a year. The Airports Authority also operates and maintains the Dulles Airport Access Road and the Dulles Toll Road and manages construction of the Silver Line project, a 23-mile extension of the Washington region's Metrorail system into Loudoun County, Va. No taxpayer money is used to operate the toll road, which is funded by toll revenues, or the airports, which are funded through aircraft landing fees, rents and revenues from concessions. The Silver Line construction is funded by a combination of toll-road revenues, airport contributions and federal, state and local government appropriations. The Airports Authority is led by a 17-member board of directors appointed by the governors of Virginia, Maryland, the mayor of Washington, D.C., and the president of the United States.

###

[CNJRoss]

The Washington Post, 5/1:

Silver Line to get nearly $2 billion in federal loans

The Silver Line will receive nearly $2 billion in low-interest federal loans to help pay for a second phase that will extend rail service to Dulles International Airport and into Loudoun County.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx approved the loan, the largest in the history of the federal program, Wednesday.

Continue.

[CNJRoss]

WTOP radio, 5/1:

$1.9B loan secured for Dulles Rail

WASHINGTON - A $1.9 billion federal loan has been secured to pay for the second phase of the Silver Line to Loudoun County - a critical piece of funding that will help pave the way for construction to begin.

Virginia's congressional delegation announced the funding, which will cover most of the project's cost, Thursday.

The low-interest loan is the largest ever provided under a federal program that funds national and regional transportation projects. The dedicated funding will allow the long-awaited project to advance.

Continue.

[CNJRoss]

DC to Dulles and Beyond: Metrorail on Track - Winter 2015

[CNJRoss]

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project email, 4/15:

 

DULLES CORRIDOR METRORAIL PROJECT

Aerial Guideway Girder Installation Begins at Dulles Airport

 

On or about Monday, April 20, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project crews will begin setting the concrete girders that will support the deck of the Silver Line's aerial guideway through Washington Dulles International Airport.  The girders will travel from the Chesapeake, Virginia area under "just-in-time" delivery along 64 west and 95 north to the Capital Beltway, 66 west and 28 north to the Dulles International Airport Access Highway (DIAAH) and arrive at the airport via Rudder Road.

 

The installation will start in the area of Cargo Building 5 and 6 during day time hours and continue northeast towards the intersection of Rudder Road and Autopilot Drive, changing to a night time operation between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. when the girders cross Rudder Road around mid-May and continue north along Autopilot Drive through the spring and summer months.

 

Heavy equipment will be moved along the alignment as the girder installation progresses. Day and night time lane and road closures will occur to accommodate the two 300 ton cranes that will set the beams that weigh approximately 200,000 pounds each. Drivers should be alert to new traffic patterns, signage, and detours on Package Court, Air Freight Lane, Rudder Road, Autopilot Drive and Ariane Way in the upcoming weeks. Police will be present during night time lane and road closures.

Detailed information about specific road closures and detours will be issued during the course of the girder installation.   

 

<><><><><> 

 

 

A 24/7 emergency hotline is available for Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project construction-related issues:  844-385-7245. 

 

For general project information:  www.dullesmetro.com or 703-572-0506.

          

Girder for the Silver Line Aerial Guideway at the manufacturing plant in Chesapeake, VA.    

Photo by David Cline, Capital Rail Constructors

 

 

 

 

 

[KevinKorell]

Progressive Railroading, 4/28/15:

 

 

WMATA Silver Line extension exceeds budget for first phase

 

 

 

The cost of a planned extension to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) Silver Line has increased by $76 million, or about 2.6 percent, compared with previously announced figures for the project's first phase, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority announced on Monday.

 

Go

[CNJRoss]

MWAA news release, 4/27:

 

Airports Authority Updates Status
of Silver Line Metrorail Construction Project

Design Changes Enhance Safety, Reliability, Environmental Protection
Will Add Time, Cost; Will Not Impact Dulles Toll Road Rates

 

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority announced Monday that design modifications made to enhance the safety and reliability of the Metrorail Silver Line, along with remaining work to finalize Phase 1 of the overall project, will add $76 million, or about 2.6 percent, to the previously announced Phase 1 cost. The new Phase 1 cost remains within the original federally approved Phase 1 budget.

 

Toll rates on the Dulles Toll Road will not be affected. Toll rates will remain at current levels through 2018, and the previously published, decades-long toll rate schedule will remain unchanged.  Revenue from tolls is one of several sources of funding for the Silver Line project, which the Airports Authority is constructing for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).

 

A recently concluded global settlement with the construction contractor for Phase 1, Dulles Transit Partners, along with the resolution of other outstanding matters – including the close-out of Virginia permits which allowed Phase 1 work within Routes 7 and 123 in Tysons Corner, and the execution of contracts to supplement certain Phase 1 work, as required by WMATA – has allowed the Airports Authority to project a final Phase 1 close-out cost of $2.982 billion, which represents an additional cost of about $76 million, and to move to the final close-out of the Phase 1 project.

 

 The majority of the remaining work on Phase 1, which opened for business in July 2014, will be completed by the end of this year, including the delivery of 64 new rail cars at a cost of $189.4 million to expand the Metrorail fleet.  Final close-out of Phase 1 is expected to occur in 2016.

“The Phase 1 global settlement is an important milestone in the Silver Line project, following its successful launch in July 2014,” Airports Authority CEO Jack Potter said.  “It gives us closure on the most substantial cost component of Phase 1, ensures we will achieve the project’s federal budget targets and allows us to maintain the existing toll schedule for the Dulles Toll Road.”

 

The ultimate impact of the Phase 1 additional costs  may be reduced or even eliminated if the contingency budget for Phase 2 of the Silver Line project is not fully used and the total project, both Phases 1 and 2, comes in at or under the overall project budget.

 

The Airports Authority also announced an update to the construction schedule for Phase 2 of the Silver Line project, which will extend service from the terminus of Phase 1 in Reston, Virginia, through Washington Dulles International Airport and into Loudoun County, Virginia.

 

More than 150 modifications have been made and integrated into the design for Phase 2. Many of these modifications parallel design changes made in the latter stages of Phase 1 and will enhance the safety and reliability of Phase 2.  The modifications, when combined with associated weather and construction delays, have extended the Phase 2 construction schedule by about 13 months.

 

“Over 100 design changes were made in Phase 1 – a large number of them ordered in the final months of the construction process – requiring additional design, engineering, construction, management and oversight work,” said Charles Stark, the Airports Authority’s executive director of the Silver Line project. “For consistency, many of these same safety and reliability modifications needed to be incorporated into Phase 2 of the project, which then impacted the schedule.”

 

Potter said, “The added costs arising from Phase 2 design modifications will remain within the Phase 2 contingency budget of $550 million and will have no effect on the toll rates on the Dulles Toll Road. With our project partners, we are committed to limiting future design changes. Phase 1 is already experiencing ridership beyond expectations, and significant construction and development is underway along its path in the Dulles Corridor. We are confident that Phase 2 will experience similar success.”

 

Construction of the Silver Line, one of the largest public transportation construction projects underway in the country, is managed by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and is being built in partnership with Loudoun and Fairfax counties and the Commonwealth of Virginia, with financial assistance from the federal government.  It will be transferred to the WMATA for operation upon completion.

[CNJRoss]

The Washington Post, posted 4/30:
 

Silver Line phase 2: now arriving in 2020

 

Officials at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority this week tried to put their best spin on two pieces of not-so-very-good-news for the Silver Line rail project — an endeavor that has had more than its share of bad headlines since it was first proposed decades ago. The bottom line of MWAA’s announcement this week: The first phase of the project is more than $200 million over budget and the second phase now is 13 months behind schedule, which means it may not open until 2020.

 

That means the formerly $5.6-billion rail project is now a $5.76-billion project ($5.8 billion with rounding).

 

Continue here.