The California-based Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority awarded the main design-build contract for the Foothill Gold Line light rail extension to Kiewit-Parsons, a joint venture.

The contract includes an $805.6 million base scope for the first nine miles of the project from Glendora to Pomona in Southern California. A two-year contract option to complete the full 12.3-mile project to Montclair would bring the total contract amount to nearly $1.2 billion, if additional funds are secured by September 2021.

Map of the light rail extension. Source: Foothill Gold LineThe base scope includes all elements of design and construction for the first nine-mile segment, including relocation of the existing freight track, installation of the light rail track system, four new light rail stations (in Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona) and improvements at 40 grade crossings (nearly half with new or renovated bridges).

The contract option would extend the work to complete the full 12.3-mile project to Montclair and add stations in Claremont and Montclair.

Kiewit and Parsons have teamed up before to complete other design-build projects, including the first two segments of the Foothill Gold Line project, which were completed in 2003 and 2015 respectively.

The Foothill Gold Line is named as one of Metro’s 28 priority projects to be completed before the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The project is expected to begin major construction in 2020 and take approximately five years to complete to Pomona and eight years to complete to Montclair.