American DBE Magazine - Winter 2019

Page 33

Transit

DART Cotton Belt Project

Picks Up Steam By American DBE Staff

Dallas Area Rapid Transit has approved a contract for Archer Western and joint venture partner Herzog Contracting Group to design and build the Cotton Belt commuter rail line with assistance from lead designer Jacobs Engineering.

A

fter years of planning, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail Project is now on track, and diverse firms are preparing to provide some of the fuel to move it toward completion. A big boost for the project came in December 2018, when DART secured a $908 million Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing (RRIF) direct loan

from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The loan enabled DART to move the project forward with plans to break ground on construction in 2019. The loan provides most of the funding needed for the project, while other local resources will provide the remainder of the funds needed for the $1.1 billion project. “This financing demonstrates the department’s commitment to serving as a

trustworthy partner to regional and local agencies, which are at the forefront of developing infrastructure solutions to meet the needs of their communities,” United States Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao said. The Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail Project is a 26-mile passenger railroad extending from DallasFort Worth (DFW) International Winter 2019 //

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