Herzog, FlatironDragados nab $997M LA light rail job

A Herzog and FlatironDragados team has won a $997 million contract to assist construct the Southeast Gateway Line, which is able to join southeast L.A. County to downtown Los Angeles. 

The brand new 14.5-mile, double monitor gentle rail line is predicted to price no less than $8.6 billion and can embrace 9 new stations, operating from Artesia, California, to the Slauson/A Line Station. The venture’s second part, not included within the workforce’s scope, will take passengers north to downtown Los Angeles.

The three way partnership will ship the early enabling venture for the upcoming line, per an April 3 information launch from Saint Joseph, Missouri-based rail contractor Herzog. 

WSP is the lead environmental and design consultant, based on a February 2025 information launch from the Montreal-based contractor.

The venture is utilizing the Development Supervisor/Common Contractor supply technique, per Herzog. Work entails relocating present utilities and freight tracks from Union Pacific Railroad and the Port of Los Angeles/Port of Lengthy Seashore alongside the 14.5-mile-long right-of-way, and relocating 8.7 miles of freight monitor in a shared-use hall. 

The freight relocation course of consists of setting up 52,000 toes of latest mainline monitor, 26 new at-grade crossings and short-term monitor shooflies to keep up railroad operations throughout development, based on Herzog. Crews will regulate 571 impacted utilities alongside the venture hall, together with water, sewer and storm drain infrastructure.

Groups may also construct the brand new elevated Firestone Metro Station, in addition to a automobile entry construction beneath the UPRR freight rail and a brand new pedestrian overhead bridge close to Paramount Excessive Faculty to permit passage over the UPRR monitor, based on Herzog. 

Further venture scope consists of 12,000 linear toes of retaining partitions and sound partitions, web site clearance and demolition in addition to hazardous soil abatement work. 

The project received a $231 million grant from the California State Transportation Company’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program in 2024, based on the venture web site. Nonetheless, LA Metro is anxious that the Trump administration will cut off crucial federal funding for the road, the Press-Telegram reported.

For now, preconstruction and early works — together with hazmat abatement, demolition and choose utility relocations — are slated to happen in 2025 and 2026, based on Herzog. Development on the venture will start in early 2027, with completion anticipated in 2030. LA Metro expects the general line to open in 2035, per the venture web site.