The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) Board of Directors announced on October 6, 2015 that HNTB Corporation was awarded the Project and Construction Management contract for Construction Package 4. The purpose of the Project and Construction Management team is to provide design and construction oversight for the next 22 miles of construction in the Central Valley. This oversight minimizes construction risks and ensures Californians the delivery of a high-speed rail system.
“We have over 100 miles of high-speed rail construction work under contract in California,” said Authority CEO Jeff Morales. “By awarding this contract, we continue progress in the Central Valley building the nation’s first high-speed rail system. The experience that HNTB will provide to this project will bring us even closer to delivering safe and reliable high-speed rail to Californians.”
HNTB was selected after months of interviews and reviews of qualifications during a competitive bidding process among three world-renowned firms. As an additional layer of project oversight, HNTB will work with the Authority and the design-build contractor to identify, manage and mitigate project risks and make sure technical and contract requirements, including costs, are met. Specific Project and Construction Management duties include oversight of inspection and testing of the high-speed rail infrastructure, technical and environmental compliance including hazmat oversight, utility relocation, construction safety and public outreach. Under the agreed upon contract, HNTB couldreceive up to $30 million based on actual work performed over a period of approximately five years. The design-builder contractor will be responsible for the actual design and construction of CP 4. The contractor will not be selected until next year.
HNTB meets the Authority’s aggressive 30 percent goal for Small Business participation, with a commitment of 33.72 percent. In addition, the company surpassed the Authority’s 10 percent Disadvantaged Business Enterprise and 3 percent Disadvantaged Veteran Business Enterprise goals; reaching a 22.78 percent and a 3.66 percent commitment, respectively.
Work on Construction Package 4 will extend 22-miles through the Central Valley beginning approximately one mile north of the Tulare-Kern County line and continuing south through the city of Wasco, ending at Poplar Avenue in Shafter.
(Source: CHSRA)
