Denver RTD to break ground on North Metro Rail project

Regional Transportation District of Denver (RTD) officials will mark the start of construction on the future North Metro Rail Line with a groundbreaking ceremony to be held on March 20.

Part of RTD's FasTracks program, the 18.5-mile North Metro commuter-rail line will serve Denver's northern suburbs, running from Union Station in Denver through Commerce City, Thornton and Northglenn to state Highway 7 in North Adams County, Colo.

In December, RTD signed a $343 million contract with Regional Rail Partners to design and build the first 13 miles of the line to 124th Avenue. The groundbreaking ceremony will be held at the site of the future 124th Avenue and Eastlake station, according to RTD's website.

Construction on the line to 124th Avenue is expected to be completed by January 2018.

Meanwhile, RTD recently named Ashland Vaughn project manager of North Metro Rail. Vaughn has more than 25 years of civil service engineering experience, the past 16 years of which have been served at FasTracks in various roles, according to a press release on RTD's website.