Metro said the award is based on the firm’s competitive proposal, which was about USD 500M lower than other competitor bids. The board also established a budget of USD 2.4bn for the project.
“Today’s contract award to Tutor Perini brings us one step closer to fulfilling our promise to bring fast, reliable, high-capacity subway service to the Westside,” said John Fasana, Metro board chair and Duarte city council member. “We now have the funding in place and the contractor onboard to expedite delivery of this high priority, regionally beneficial transit project for Los Angeles County.”
In early January, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced USD 1.5bn in new federal grants and loans to Metro to build section two of the project.
The second section will add another 2.6 miles (4.1km) to the Purple Line with one station at Wilshire/Rodeo in downtown Beverly Hills and a station in the heart of Century City. A third and final section will extend the subway to the Westwood/VA Hospital. Construction of the third section is planned to begin as early as 2019.
Completion of the second subway section is anticipated no later than 2026 per a funding agreement with the Federal Transit Administration and Metro is aiming to possibly finish the project at an earlier date.
Metro is now building the first section of the Purple Line Extension between the current subway terminus at Wilshire/Western and Wilshire/La Cienega with three new stations.
Tutor was involved in construction of the original Metro Red Line. The contractor built segments 2 and 3, completing section 3 to North Hollywood six months ahead of schedule and within the project’s budget.