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The California High-Speed Rail Authority's (CHSRA) board yesterday agreed to award a three-year, $36 million contract to HNTB Corp. to conduct preliminary engineering and environmental services for a 135-mile segment of the project.

The contract covers two project sections: a 51-mile segment from San Francisco to San Jose, Calif., and another 84-mile segment between San Jose and Merced.

HNTB will assist the agency in further defining and environmentally clearing high-speed rail blended operations along the Caltrain corridor from 4th and King streets in San Francisco to Caltrain's Tamien Station in San Jose. The firm is also tasked with providing environmental clearance for a high-speed rail alignment between San Jose and the Central Valley Wye.

To obtain CHSRA's 30 percent goal for small business participation, HNTB has a commitment from 21 small and disadvantaged business enterprises, authority officials said.

"Awarding this contract is an essential piece to help us move forward in bringing high-speed rail to the Bay Area," said CHSRA Chief Executive Officer Jeff Morales. "HNTB is an experienced firm that has the resources and expertise to complete the work required to meet our goal of environmental clearance in the region by 2017."

The announcement marks the latest contract that HNTB received for the state's high-speed rail project. In early October, the authority awarded the firm a contract to provide design and construction oversight for 22 miles of rail in the Central Valley.