RTD has spent $10 million so far on West Corridor light-rail construction, but by June, the pace of constructing the first FasTracks train line will accelerate, with spending on the project hitting $10 million a month, according to agency officials.
The Regional Transportation District is short $2.2 billion for building all of FasTracks by its planned 2017 completion date, but the 12.1-mile West line from Denver to Lakewood and Golden is expected to be fully funded and open by May 2013.
The West light-rail construction team led RTD directors on a tour of the train corridor today, identifying the first bridge structures built for the train line, including one that will take the train over Kipling Street near West 13th Avenue.
Later this year, work will be underway on all of the major West line structures, said Terry Martin, construction manager with Denver Transit Construction Group, a consortium that is lead contractor on the $707 million West light-rail project.
Major structures will include a 1,574-foot-long flyover bridge that will take light rail over West Sixth Avenue near Indiana Street and a tunnel that will take the train under Interstate 70 on the north side of West Sixth Avenue. The West line will terminate at the Jefferson County government center.
Other key elements of the project include a new Federal Boulevard bridge over the light-rail tracks near West 13th Avenue in Denver and a new Sheridan Boulevard bridge over the tracks between West 13th and West 10th avenues.
Contractors are expected to begin laying track next year, said Dennis Cole, RTD’s West Corridor project manager.
RTD was able to pre-purchase about 40 percent of the steel rail it needs for the West line at a price significantly lower than the current price for rail, Cole said.
Rocky Mountain Steel in Pueblo will begin rolling West Corridor rail in the next few months, he added.
