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Yesterday, the Metropolitan Council awarded a second construction contract for the Central Corridor light-rail project to Ames Construction/C.S. McCrossan and contracted Siemens Transportation Systems Inc. to build 41 light-rail vehicles.

Ames/McCrossan’s $113.8 million bid to build the three-mile Minneapolis segment of the line includes work valued at nearly $1 million that was requested by, and will be paid for by, the city of Minneapolis, Hennepin County and University of Minnesota. The cost to construct the segment is $4.2 million below budget.

Thirty-one of the low-floor vehicles will be needed for the Central Corridor project to provide two-car operations when revenue service begins in 2014. The cost for the Central Corridor cars is $120.2 million; the agency had budgeted $119.1 million. The remaining 10 cars are needed to accomodate plans for the Hiawatha Line’s three-car train program. The total cost of Siemens’ proposed base contract is about $153 million.

The majority of the construction on the Minneapolis segment will begin in spring 2011. Some preparatory work is expected to begin this fall.