Maryland Transit Solutions (MTS) has been selected as design-build contractor to complete the Purple Line light-rail transit system.
Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP), in close partnership with the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) selected MTS—which is comprised of Dragados USA Inc. and OHL USA Inc.
The Purple Line will be a 16-mile, 21-station light-rail line providing transit service between New Carrollton in Prince George’s County and Bethesda in Montgomery County. The east-west line will connect with five branches of Metrorail, three MARC commuter rail lines, Amtrak and a host of bus services. Twenty years after service begins, the Purple Line is estimated to take 17,000 vehicles off the road daily, according to PLTP.
“I’m excited to partner with Maryland Transit Solutions to move full speed ahead with construction and delivery of this regionally important project,” MDOT Secretary Greg Slater said in a statement. “We have made a lot of progress in this interim period. Today’s news is one more step towards completion and one more step towards Marylanders riding on this critical transit connection. I want to thank everyone for their continued patience as we work hard to get the Purple Line back on track.”
It was announced last year that the design-build joint venture of Fluor, Lane Construction Corp., and Traylor Bros. Inc. withdrew from the project after disputes with Maryland transportation agencies over hundreds of millions in cost overruns and delays.
PLTP says while procurements of this magnitude can take 18 months to two years to complete, the replacement of the Purple Line contractor is on track to be completed in just over a year.
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SOURCE: Purple Line Transit Partners
