CTA awards Elevated Solution Partners RPM Phase One contract
Elevated Solution Partners, a joint venture between Arcadis, Jacobs Engineering and Ardmore Roderick, has been awarded a six-year $102-million contract by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) for professional owner's representative services for the Red and Purple Modernization Program (RPM) Phase One project.
Arcadis explains that the joint venture team will serve as an extension of CTA's staff and help oversee all aspects of the project under the contract. Jacobs will provide program and construction management services in support of the project, which includes providing design and construction management, field support and project controls services, safety and security certification oversight, quality assurance and construction closeout services. Ardmore Roderick said its role in the JV will continue to pave the way for other DBE firms to participate at a higher level of leadership on similar, complex projects throughout the entire region.
The Red Line is the busiest in Chicago’s ‘L’ rapid transit system and serves some of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the U.S. Red Line ridership has increased by almost 40 percent over a five-year period and CTA needs the Red Line to serve more riders. The multiphase RPM Project will rebuild a 9.6-mile stretch of track originally constructed in 1924 and provide needed capacity. Phase One consists of two components: the Red-Purple Bypass Project and the Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization Project.
“The different elements of this project will enhance service, introduce cutting-edge technology and bring transit in Chicago into the 21st century,” said George Cussen, Arcadis project manager.
Last December, the Chicago Transit Board approved a $1.2 billion contract to The Walsh-Fluor Design Build Team for RPM Phase One. Construction on the first phase is set to begin in the second half of 2019 and finish in 2025.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
