The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has selected three prequalified teams to submit proposals on the Red Line Extension (RLE) project to extend rail service to the far south side of the city.
The $3.6 billion RLE project will extend the Red Line from the existing southern terminal at 95th St. to 130th St. As part of the project, four new, fully accessible rail stations will be added, as well as a new modern, efficient railcar storage yard and maintenance facility. The 5.6-mile heavy rail line extension will provide long-awaited and much needed connection to jobs, education, commerce and opportunity while also serving as a catalyst for economic development that benefits the entire city of Chicago.
“Today, we move closer to providing Chicago residents with an extended and improved commute on the Red Line, our busiest line, by selecting the best and most qualified firms to ultimately build this dream and make it a reality,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “This historic project represents equity for the underserved South Side community by finally giving them a rail line that extends to the city limits.”
In October of last year, CTA issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), asking firms to submit their qualifications. After considering a pool of potential candidates, the three entities selected are:
- FH Paschen, Ragnar Benson, Milhouse and BOWA Joint Venture
- Kiewit Infrastructure
- Walsh VINCI Transit Community Partners
This selected pool of candidates will move into the next phase of the competitive procurement process, and CTA will decide which contracting team will ultimately be chosen to design and build the RLE project based on their submitted proposals. Project proposals will be due early 2024, with an expected execution by the end of 2024.
The contracting teams’ proposals will be considered on a variety of criteria, including experience, price, diversity outreach plans and other factors. CTA expects major construction of this project to begin in late 2025 and is dependent on securing full project funding.
The RLE project is expected to create 2,500 direct and indirect construction jobs annually. The final RFP will include aggressive workforce goals and will require significant participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)-certified firms and career-seekers from underrepresented communities and economically disadvantaged areas. In alignment with CTA’s goals, the RLE project will help strengthen economic prospects for members of the surrounding communities – both through career and business/contracting opportunities.
CTA will be hosting numerous outreach events leading up to the start of project work to encourage participation by DBE-certified firms and other minority owned firms that wish to participate in the project to meet the DBE goals that will be assessed.
