Valley Metro’s South Central Extension/Downtown Hub light-rail project is 50 percent complete after more than 1.5 million hours of work performed from construction crews.
With new utilities upgraded throughout most of the project area, track installation and station construction continue throughout the corridor.
“It’s exciting to reach this milestone as we continue to enhance our regional transit system,” said Valley Metro CEO Jessica Mefford-Miller. “With the opening of this extension in 2024, the Valley Metro Light-Rail System will expand from one to two lines and will add five miles of light rail, making it easier for residents and visitors to travel throughout the metro Phoenix area.”
Already, more than 68,000 feet—nearly 13 miles—of new waterline has been installed on the project. Nearly 5,000 feet of track has been installed, including 13 pieces of special trackwork.
The project has also created hundreds of jobs for Valley workers. To date, 1,122 crew members, including carpenters, electricians and ironworkers, have been hired to build the extension.
To help mitigate the impacts of construction, Valley Metro and the city of Phoenix provided $508,000 in grant funding to 64 local businesses in the project area through the Small Business Financial Assistance Program. Valley Metro’s free business assistance programs also include marketing, community events, accounting and financial planning and more to businesses in the construction corridor.
In addition to five new miles of track, the project includes new utilities, landscaping, repaved streets, sidewalks, eight new stations with public art as well as two new park-and-rides.
“Hitting the halfway mark on the South Central Extension is a great reminder of our shared purpose: to make it easier for residents to get to jobs, school and local businesses without the need for a car,” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “We also recognize the deep history in the South Central Corridor, with many second and third generation families and businesses, all of whom take great pride in their community. This extension promotes equitable and inclusive communities and is an example of how Phoenix Public Transit and Valley Metro can ensure racial justice and economic inclusion through our programs and investments."
