L.K. Comstock obtains MTA contract for LIRR project

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has awarded a $66.5 million contract to L.K. Comstock & Co. Inc. for a project that will add a second track on the MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR).

A subsidiary of RailWorks Corp., L.K. Comstock will be responsible for track and systems installation on the Main Line Ronkonkoma Branch. The second track will extend over 13 miles between Ronkonkoma and Farmingdale, N.Y., according to a company press release.

Work on the project starts this month and will extend 19 months, with a targeted completion by 2018's end.

The double-track project is designed to improve service and reliability on the LIRR's Ronkonkoma Branch, which has doubled in ridership over the past 25 years.

L.K. Comstock will perform electrical work, including installing new utility poles; signal, communication and fiber cable; and signal equipment. The firm also will test and commission all of the systems.

RailWorks Transit will perform all related track and civil work, including installing 13 miles of track for the second track.

In addition to the main line work, the project includes design and construction of the Wyandanch and Pinelawn stations. That work will involve demolition of the old platforms and installation of new ones, as well as construction of a new walkway and elevators at Wyandanch Station that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

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