Trinity Metro nudged its long-planned TEXRail extension closer to reality this week, signing off on a revised early-work contract pegged at roughly $33.1 million. As detailed by the Fort Worth Report, the move covers the first wave of construction activity for a 2.1-mile push from downtown toward the Near Southside medical district.
Agency engineers are calling the amended agreement the practical starting gun for the project, even though the real shovels-in-the-ground moment is still a ways off. Trinity Metro still needs about $20 million more in funding before full construction can begin, and with design details, property agreements, and utility relocations still in motion, officials have not set a formal groundbreaking date. The overall program is currently estimated at more than $167 million, according to Fort Worth Report.
The board approved a revised contract amendment with Fort Worth Transit Partners, a Stacy Witbeck/Sundt joint venture serving as construction manager at risk. Trinity Metro Chief Engineer Richey Thompson described the decision as “essentially the beginning” of the extension, signaling that the long-discussed southward stretch is finally moving from planning slides to field work.
Design Work And Early Construction Moves
Early tasks on the table include removing and replacing the track crossing at Mistletoe Boulevard, extending culverts near Leslie Street and wrapping up railyard upgrades to house four additional TEXRail trainsets. Trinity Metro’s public meeting materials show the board signed off on early-work contract amendments so the construction manager at risk can kick off preconstruction coordination and lock in third party agreements, according to Trinity Metro meeting materials…