HONOLULU — The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation has awarded Los Angeles-based contractor Tutor Perini Corp. a $1.66 billion contract for a 3-mile extension to the city’s Skyline light-rail system.
The contract, which calls for six new stations and 3 miles of elevated rail line, is expected to be completed in mid-September, Hawaii News Now reports. Design will begin immediately after execution of the contract, with construction expected to begin in the second half of 2025. Completion is projected for 2030.
Honolulu Civil Beat reports Tutor Perini was the only bidder for the contract, and that the contract is $300 million more than HART had budgeted in 2020.
The contract includes a 1-mile, two-station segment that was to have been part of the original Skyline project, but HART pared back the original construction in 2022 to address cost overruns as the project fell years behind schedule. A 10.75-mile, nine-station route finally opened in June 2023 [see “Honolulu rail system to debut …,” Trains News Wire, June 30, 2023]. The full system is planned for 18.9 miles and 19 stations, but no firm building plans exist beyond the newly awarded segment.
Skyline is an all-elevated, automated light rail system. Railcars were built by Hitachi Rail, which is also the system’s contract operator.
Brought to you by the same people who screwed the California taxpayers for CHSR no doubt.
Screwing federal taxpayers.
That’s 277 Megabucks PER STATION!
Well, a billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money
At 5% Capital Recovery, that’s about $38,000 in Capital Recovery per station per day. Before you get to O+M.
That’s the going rate these days. Don’t think New York’s Second Avenue Subway, or Amtrak’s megaprojects at NEC, are any cheaper.
Philip, as to the last quip in your post, these projects are NOT built with “real money” …. but with federal deficit financing, money that Washington DeeCee simply prints.
Does anyone know how many riders on the existing system?
Less than 3300 daily riders…..
Since it doesn’t reach the city center, nor the Ala Moana, the ridership *is* low.
This bid will reach the city center but not Ala Moana. That will cost hundreds of millions more.