Sound Transit opens construction bids for Northgate Link light-rail tunnel work

Sound Transit has received six team bids below the engineer's estimate of $594 million for the contract to mine 3.4 miles of twin light-rail tunnels between Husky Stadium and the Northgate Mall area in Seattle, agency officials announced yesterday.

At $440.3 million, the low bid was submitted by JCM Northlink L.L.C., a joint venture of Jay Dee Contractors, Frank Collucio Construction Co. and Michaels Corp. JCM recently completed mining the light-rail tunnels between downtown Seattle and Capitol Hill station as part of the University Link project.

Sound Transit staff will evaluate the bids to determine the "lowest responsive and responsible bidder" and that the contract meets all requirements, agency officials said. Sound Transit's board is expected to consider a recommendation to approve a contract later this summer.

The contract is the largest piece of work for the $2.1 billion Northgate Link light-rail extension. In addition to the twin tunnels, it includes excavating the underground stations in the Roosevelt and U District neighborhoods.