Gold Line Foothill light-rail operations facility nearing completion

An operations facility for the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension light-rail project in California is nearing completion, according to a statement from the contractors working on the project.

The Kiewit-Parsons Joint Venture announced Wednesday that the $265 million Gold Line Operations Campus in Monrovia, Calif., will be completed in late May, three months ahead of schedule.

"We are pleased to once again complete an outstanding project for the Gold Line Foothill Construction Authority," said Parsons Group President Todd Wager in a statement. He added that the new campus is one of the only of its kind built to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards.

The 24-acre facility will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will house up to 84 light-rail vehicles and roughly 200 employees. The new facility also will provide office space and training facilities for operations and maintenance staff, in addition to accommodations for light-rail vehicle inspection and maintenance services, officials from the joint venture said.

The Gold Line Operations Campus is part of a Metro Gold Line Foothill Construction Authority contract that calls for the Kiewit-Parsons team to design and build 11.5 miles of double mainline track and six light-rail stations, as well as control, communications and signaling systems.

Kiewit-Parsons officials believe the project will be substantially completed by September.