First phase of Denver North Metro line contract awarded

A US$ 343 million design and construction contract for the first, 21 km phase of a new metro line in Denver, Colorado, US, has been awarded to a joint venture between Balfour Beatty and Graham Contracting.

Awarded by the Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD), the contract involves construction of the North Metro rail line from Denver Union Station to 124^th Avenue, which will serve Denver, Commerce City, Thornton, Northglenn and Adams County.

Design begins immediately, with the first ground-breaking scheduled for spring of 2014. The first phase of the North Metro Rail will open in 2018, and when the entire line is completed it will span 30 km between Union Station and 162^nd Avenue/Colorado Highway 7.

The North Metro Line is part of RTD’s FasTracks transit expansion programme which includes building six new rail lines, a bus rapid transit line, and redeveloping Denver Union Station as the transit hub of the Denver metro area.