The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board of Directors today approved a $1.272 billion contract to Walsh/Shea Corridor Constructors to build the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor Project, an 8.5-mile light-rail line that will run between the Expo Line on Exposition Boulevard and the Metro Green Line. The design/build contract will include both the Leimert Park and Hindry Stations.
Walsh/Shea is a joint venture between Walsh Construction and J.F. Shea Company. The joint venture was one of four firms that submitted proposals for the contract. Metro staff in evaluating the proposals gave Walsh/Shea the highest technical score and the lowest price.
The Board also approved an additional $160 million in contingency funds for the project for a total project budget of $2.058 billion, which includes the fixed guidway, Leimert Park and Hindry stations, new rail cars, a shared rail maintenance yard, real estate acquisition, the cost of planning and designing the line and other associated construction costs.
Utility relocation work is underway with heavy construction set to begin spring 2014. Completion is expected by 2019.
The Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor Project will serve the Crenshaw Corridor, Inglewood, Westchester and the LAX area with eight stations, a maintenance facility, park-ride lots, traction power substations and the acquisition of rail vehicles and maintenance equipment.
The new rail stations will be Expo/Crenshaw, Crenshaw/Martin Luther King, Crenshaw/Vernon (Leimert Park), Crenshaw/Slauson, Florence/West, Florence/La Brea, Florence/Hindry and Aviation/Century.
The Crenshaw/LAX project is one of 12 transit projects funded by Measure R, the half-cent sales tax approved by Los Angeles County voters in 2008.
The Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor Project will offer an alternative transportation option to congested roadways and provide significant environmental benefits, economic development and employment opportunities throughout Los Angeles County.
