Next year, construction crews are poised to kick off work on a major transportation milestone within Central Texas, bringing with it the region’s first light rail system.
More than five years ago, Austin voters approved a November 2020 mobility proposition that called for a dedicated tax rate to fund Project Connect, a major transit system program that would enhance fixed rail and rapid bus transit systems, bolster affordable housing investments and introduce light rail to the Texas capital. After a series of project scope changes and amid an influx in real estate and construction costs, project heads landed on an initial phase comprising 15 stations and nearly 10 miles’ worth of light rail tracks and electric trains zipping across town from 38th Street down to Oltorf Street and southeast toward Yellow Jacket Lane.
On Wednesday, February 18, Project Connect officials awarded Austin Rail Constructors the multibillion-dollar construction contract to finalize design work and begin the pre-construction preparations of the upcoming system before a 2027 construction kickoff and an estimated 2033 completion. The ARC team has worked on other major city infrastructure projects, including McKalla Station near Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium and the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, supplementing rail projects completed in Arizona, Hawaii and Utah…