Norfolk Southern picks lead engineering team for 75th Street Corridor project

Norfolk Southern Railway has chosen Alfred Benesch & Co. and TranSystems to provide program management and track design services for one of four projects that are part of the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project (CIP) in the Chicago area.

Alfred Benesch and TranSystems will work on a portion of the Belt Junction and 80th Street Junction replacements, a project known as EW2. That project, along with the 75th Street CIP, are part of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE), a long-term effort to reduce train delays and address passenger and freight congestion on converging rail lines in Chicago.

"Norfolk Southern looks forward to starting the design work associated with this important CREATE project supported by the team of Alfred Benesch & Co. and TranSystems," said Dave Becker, NS' chief engineer of design and construction, in a press release. "Both firms have extensive experience designing complex rail projects, and are fully committed to robust community engagement throughout the final design engineering process."

The final design of EW2 is expected to begin later this year, CREATE officials said.

There will be more opportunities for bridge design engineering on EW2, as well as design, engineering, construction and supplier opportunities on the 75th Street CIP, they said. Disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE) are encouraged to participate in CREATE projects.