The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), known locally as Metro, has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a major capital project that involves rehabilitating the Yellow Line Bridge spanning the Potomac River, and repairing the steel-lined tunnels between Pentagon and L’Enfant Plaza stations, both of which date to original construction more than 40 years ago. In an effort to address this critical need, Metro is streamlining the design and construction to save time and money.
In a request for proposals issued, Metro is seeking a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) that will coordinate with Metro during the design process and provide a guaranteed price for construction. This enables the contractor to evaluate construction feasibility, provide value engineering and propose cost-effective alternatives in the design phase, providing more flexibility and cost-controls.
This is Metro’s first project using CMAR, a method widely used for large-scale infrastructure projects. The design, pre-construction work and pricing happen concurrently to improve project delivery and schedule. Waiting for the design process to be completed before awarding the construction contract would add up to a year to the project timeline.
Metro is investing in an aggressive capital campaign to rehabilitate and repair elevated structures, and the Yellow Line Bridge is the top structural priority providing the region with a vital transportation link across the Potomac.
Metro has 148 elevated structures throughout the system, including elevated rail stations and tracks, and has identified 31 in need of rehabilitation or repair.
The Yellow Line bridge and tunnel project is critical to maintain safe, reliable service for customers. The bridge, constructed in the 1970s and supported by box-girder spans and piers, is now showing excessive wear and corrosion. Meanwhile, decades of water infiltration and underground moisture have eroded the steel-lined tunnels, subjecting the liner plates to stray current. Metro continues to perform ongoing maintenance and leak mitigation; however, long-term repairs are necessary now to avoid structural failure in the future.
The work also includes upgrading the fire suppression system on the 915 m (3000-foot) bridge, which is beyond its useful life, and remediation work in tunnels throughout the system to repair cracks and additional water infiltration.
Metro expects construction to begin in fall 2022 with completion by the end of the year. Additional details on the project timeline and impacts to service will be provided at a later date.
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