March 2,2015-
The California High Speed Rail Authority’s March 1 report to the legislature offers an update on progress along the segment from Fresno to Bakersfield. In December 2014, the Authority announced that Dragados/Flatiron/Shimmick, a Joint Venture, presented the apparent best value for the CP 2-3 design build contract with a bid price of $1.2 billion – well below engineers estimates of $1.5 to 2 billion.
Here are brief bullet points on new items discussed in the report as it relates to the 65 mile South Valley leg called CP 2-3.
– Says the Authority finalized an agreement with Union Pacific that will allow both parties to work together to do both design and construction of the segment from Fresno to Bakersfield.
– The Authority anticipates contract execution and work to be underway in spring 2015. Upon contract execution, Dragados/Flatiron/Shimmick will join ARCADIS, the Project and Construction Manager (PCM) for CP 2-3, to deliver this construction package.
– As this process moves forward, the Authority continues certain pre-construction activities in the CP 2-3 project section, while concurrently advancing the acquisition of right-of-way.To date, the Authority has identified 545 parcels as necessary to deliver CP 2-3, of which, 490 of these parcels have now been appraised.
– While the Authority continues to work with its stakeholders and partners through the remaining CEQA lawsuits, the Surface Transportation Board’s approval of the project section’s environmental document in July 2014 allows the Authority to move forward with construction-related activities within the project section up to 7th Standard Road in Kern County.
– The design contractor – Dragados – and the construction management team will be opening offices in the Central Valley, bringing new economic activity to the region.The report doe not say this but Dragados is expected to open offices in Hanford.
– The Authority released an RFP for Habitat Mitigation Services in January 2015. The habitat mitigation services will satisfy environmental approvals and federal and State permit requirements related to habitat for federally and State-listed endangered or threatened wildlife and wetlands and waters of the United States. A pre-bid conference was held in February 2015 and was attended by industry leadersi n the field of habitat restoration and preservation and by many small businesses ready to take advantage of the teaming opportunities. With the habitat mitigation services contract in place, anticipated in spring 2015, the federal and state regulatory agencies will have the mitigation assurances needed to issue permits for CP 2-3 and CP 4.
The contractor will be doing design work with major overpasses and underpasses being built first before track is laid.