The city of Charlotte’s Engineering and Property Management Department has determined that the CityLYNX Gold Line will now open in June 2015 due to construction delays. The contractor working on the project began experiencing scheduling difficulties during the summer of 2014 and staff immediately brought its concern to their attention. They then committed to meet the contracted completion date of December 23, 2014 by developing an aggressive recovery schedule and bringing in additional resources and extra manpower to meet the recovery schedule. The contractor made great strides in recovering the schedule and by October was making significant progress in completing the line. Despite these efforts, the contractor fell short of the contracted completion date. Due to the delay, the contractor is being assessed liquidated damages, which are monetary penalties, until the contracted work is completed. This delay will not result in an increase of the project budget.
The public may experience intermittent lane closures until the opening of the line; however, streets will open completely in February. Normal access to business driveways has already been restored. The contractor estimates his work to be completed by the end of February, allowing the City to begin testing with a streetcar vehicle on the line in March. At this time, the city will go through a series of safety tests, certifications and simulated operations that will prepare the CityLYNX Gold Line for passenger service. The Federal Transit Administration has been informed and has approved the extension.
The opening of the CityLYNX Gold Line will be the first time in 77 years that Charlotte will have a streetcar in mixed traffic as a transportation option offered to the community. Charlotte has recently been named one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Due to this impending growth, the City is committed to providing a robust infrastructure that includes multi-modal transportation so all citizens can have access to safe and reliable options to travel within the Queen City.
