Balfour Beatty Infrastructure recommended for Denver RTD light-rail extension

Regional Transportation District (RTD) of Denver’s staff has recommended that the agency's board move ahead with a proposal from Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. (BBII) to design and build the Southeast Rail Extension.

Following approval by RTD's board, BBII would kick off design on the project in fall, with construction slated to begin in spring 2016. The extension is expected to open in 2019, RTD officials said in a press release.

The BBII team comprises Parsons Brinckerhoff (design), Capitol Management, Transit Safety & Security Solutions (system safety), Systems Consulting LLC (quality assurance) and Communication Infrastructure Group (public information).

The extension's $233.1 million budget includes $34 million on environmental analysis through 2014, the acquisition of eight light-rail vehicles, and preliminary engineering and design work.

The remaining $198.7 million will be funded with federal, private and local dollars. Half of the project will be funded by the Federal Transit Administration's New Starts program.

The extension is included in President Barack Obama's budget for fiscal-year 2016, RTD officials said.

"This extension will make it possible for RTD to connect people in a rapidly growing part of the metro area to the rest of the region, including Denver International Airport," said RTD Interim General Manager Dave Genova.