Foothill Gold Line authority switches project delivery method for light-rail extension

The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority's board last week announced it canceled an ongoing design-build procurement plan with engineering firm Kiewit for the delivery of the section of a light-rail extension between Pomona and Montclair in Southern California.

Despite making dozens of changes to reduce costs, Kiewit’s final bid for the project was hundreds of millions of dollars above what the authority had estimated, authority CEO Habib Balian announced in an email.

The authority now plans to deliver the project using a construction manager at risk delivery method, with a request for proposals for design services to be issued in June, he said.

The Foothill extension is being completed in sections. Once completed, it will connect Montclair to the existing Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority A Line, which prior to the Foothill extension terminated in Azusa.