It takes more than heat to keep Phoenix crowds away from an important event, especially one that celebrates a major milestone in a much-anticipated transportation construction project. Last Saturday, hundreds of heat-seasoned Phoenicians gathered to watch as concrete was poured for the first section of new light rail track for the Northwest Extension, a 3.2-mile expansion of the city’s existing light rail system.
It was the project’s second of five milestones. The next three are: station installation, vehicle testing, and the grand opening in 2016. Saturday’s milestone celebration signifies that the $158.7 million project is approximately halfway complete. Sundt and joint venture partner Stacy and Witbeck are finishing the underground construction phase while work continues on roadway widening, hardscape reconstruction and track placement. Construction of the vehicle station will begin this fall.
The Northwest Extension is expected to serve approximately 5,000 riders per day when it is complete. It is Sundt’s fourth project for the Valley Metro Light Rail. In 2008, Sundt/Stacy and Witbeck completed more than half of the original 20-mile “starter” section of the transit system (Line Section 4 and Line Section 5), plus the system’s maintenance and operations facility.