The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Board of Directors has awarded a 10-year, $210 million contract to Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB)/HNTB Corporation for the program and construction management of the South Coast Rail Project.
The contract awards $12 million in first year funding to begin program management, early design development, and data collection including environmental site assessments, partial preliminary design, continuing of the environmental permitting process, and public outreach. Additional awards will come in succeeding years up to the contract limit of $210 million.
“We have already taken numerous steps to advance South Coast Rail, and this management contract moves us decisively from planning to design and construction,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey. “Public transit isn’t just about moving people from Point A to B. It’s about giving people access to employment opportunities, recreation and an improved quality of life. The South Coast Rail will help open those doors for the communities in that region.”
South Coast Rail will provide commuter service from New Bedford and Fall River to Boston South Station using the Northeast Corridor, Stoughton Commuter Rail Line, New Bedford Main Line and Fall River Secondary Line. The proposed service would be an electrified commuter rail system extending from Canton Junction to New Bedford and Fall River.
“South Coast Rail will be a game changer for the region, providing a reliable public transit option for residents and businesses of the South Coast,” said Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. “This historic project will help create new economic opportunity in communities along the rail corridor, opening up the area for the kind of growth we are seeing elsewhere throughout the Commonwealth.”
The project has a current estimated total budget of $2.3 billion and will reconstruct 44 rail crossings and 34 bridges, in addition to four bridges and five crossings already in design as part of separate projects. New stations will be constructed in Stoughton, North Easton, Raynham Park, Taunton, Taunton Depot, Freetown, and Fall River. The current stations of Canton Center, Easton Village, Kings Highway, Battleship Cove and Whale’s Tooth in New Bedford will receive new platforms.
“The advancement to the design and construction phase of the South Coast Rail project is incredibly heartening to me and my colleagues, who have worked for years to make South Coast Rail a reality,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues. “Linking the South Coast to Boston means enhancements in job opportunities, economic development, and quality of life for so many residents. I am proud of the progress made so far, and I thank MassDOT and the Patrick administration for their hard work and dedication to this much-needed project.”