Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority awards SSH JV construction manager contract for Claremount Extension of Metro A Line light-rail system
The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority (Construction Authority) Board of Directors has awarded the construction manager contract for the 2.3-mile Claremont Extension of the Metro A Line light-rail system to SSH Joint Venture (JV), a team made up of Skanska USA Civil West California District Inc., Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. and Herzog Contracting Corp. The construction manager contract is the second of two major contracts now awarded to deliver the Pomona to Claremont project using the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method adopted by the board for the project last year.
"Today’s award is a major step forward to getting the Metro A Line to Claremont," said Foothill Gold Line Board Chair and Claremont Vice Mayor Ed Reece. “SSH is a highly experienced team, and they will put that know-how to work over the next year to support the final project design, currently being developed by Parsons, to ensure the design is optimized for constructability and effectiveness while also becoming deeply engaged in all aspects of the project’s planning, so they can provide the Construction Authority a price to build the project that eliminates unnecessary risk and is based on the most efficient construction plan possible."
The contract includes the authorization for $6.3 million to be used for the initial 18-month preconstruction phase, during which SSH will be responsible for supporting the ongoing design efforts currently underway by Parsons. SSH’s role during this initial phase will include providing constructability reviews, value engineering, third-party coordination and cost estimating, among other activities that will help inform the design. After the project design reaches approximately 85% completion, the Construction Authority notes that SSH will have the possibility of building the project if the team successfully negotiates a construction services contract with an acceptable price.
“The Construction Authority was looking for a team that would not only provide great value during the initial preconstruction phase, but one that would do an excellent job building the project if they are successful at negotiating a construction contract with us next year, and I am pleased that we had a highly competitive procurement that saw four qualified teams vying for the work,” Reece said. “We are confident that SSH is an excellent selection, and we look forward to their efforts in the months ahead that will support the best design possible while also developing the best approach to building this important regional project.”
The Construction Authority notes that because the full cost of constructing the project won't be determined until after the project design reaches about 85%, the procurement process used a formula that compared the four teams based on their preconstruction phase cost proposals and profit and overhead figures. The agency says the project is on track toward an expected late-2027 start of major construction. It is expected that once major construction begins, it will take approximately four years to complete. Once completed, the extension will provide car-free access to Downtown Claremont, Calif.
The Construction Authority Board also approved an amendment to the ongoing Master Cooperative Agreement (MCA) between the Construction Authority and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro). The MCA lays out the roles and responsibilities of each agency as they work together over the course of the project’s design, construction and testing, with the Construction Authority turning the completed project over to L.A. Metro to operate. The MCA was amended to clarify how the agreement would apply to a CMAR delivery method. The Construction Authority has also completed all punch list work for the project.