advertisement

---

Charlotte, N.C.’s city council recently awarded a contract to STV/Ralph Whitehead Associates (STV/RWA) to provide planning, environmental and engineering services for an extension of the LYNX Blue Line. The contract could total up to $30 million.

STV/RWA served as the project management support services consultant for the original Blue Line corridor, which the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) opened in November 2007.

The proposed 11-mile extension would run from Center City Charlotte (the city’s central business district) northeast to the U.S. 29/Interstate 485 interchange, near the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. It would serve the Charlotte Convention Center, NASCAR Hall of Fame and both UNCC campuses.

STV/RWA will help CATS address challenges associated with the project, such as crossing and running along existing freight railroad rights of way. The corridor’s design would have to meet the requirements of four different railroads so the city can secure necessary agreements. In addition, a significant portion of the line would run in the U.S. 29 median.