Cincinnati signs streetcar construction contract

Cincinnati officials on Monday signed a $71.4 million contract with Messer/Prus/Delta JV for construction of the city's streetcar system.

The city has issued the joint venture a notice to proceed, which means that materials can be ordered and prepared to construct trackway, a maintenance and operations facility, overhead power lines and substations, and station stops, Cincinnati officials said in a press release.

The streetcar's first phase will feature a 3.6-mile loop from Second Street at The Banks on the city's riverfront to Henry Street, just north of Findlay Market in the Over the Rhine neighborhood.

The joint venture partners include Messer Construction Co., which manages complex commercial construction projects; Prus Construction, which performs downtown roadway and utility reconstruction work; and Delta Railroad Construction Inc., which provides railroad construction and engineering services.

The cost of the first phase is estimated at $147.8 million, which will be funded through federal and local dollars.