CATS asks for another $24.75 million for light rail construction

The problems that have delayed the Lynx Blue Line extension’s opening for up to seven months are again costing taxpayers.

The Charlotte Area Transit System is asking City Council to approve Monday new light rail spending totaling $24.75 million. The largest request – for $12.75 million – is to settle claims from the two construction firms, Balfour Beatty and Blythe Development, which are building Segment A of the extension that’s closest to uptown.

Last month, CATS chief executive John Lewis said the light-rail extension to UNC Charlotte wouldn’t open in August as planned. The transit system hoped to open the extension in time for the start of the new semester.

But the main contractor, Balfour Beatty, wasn’t able to turn over the 9.3-mile line to CATS by March 15 for the transit system to begin testing. CATS hopes the contractor can turn the line over by May, but that isn’t certain.

CATS said the entire $1.1 billion extension is still under budget, mostly due to a large contingency. The federal government is paying for half of the project, and the city and state are splitting the other half.

But having to spend additional money appears to be taking a toll on the transit system.

Earlier this year, CATS told the federal government it’s withdrawing from a plan to lengthen platforms on the existing light rail line so the entire Lynx could operate with longer three-car trains instead of two-car trains. That would relieve crowding.

The $12.75 million request is meant to cover Balfour Beatty and Blythe Development’s claims. Much of their work was adjacent to Norfolk Southern rail tracks, and the construction so close to the railroad made the job more challenging.

Among the challenges: Problems moving utilities underground and Norfolk Southern requiring additional testing and inspections.

CATS said the $12.75 million would cover all of the two construction firm’s claims through January.

This is the second change order for that contract.

In January 2014, council members approved the original contract for $108 million. In June 2015, council members approved spending another $7.3 million, which increased the contract to $115 million.

If this change is approved, the Segment A contract would jump to $128 million.

CATS is asking for other contract increases Monday.

▪ HNTB North Carolina would receive another $7 million for construction manager services.

In 2013, HNTB’s management contract with CATS was worth $38.3 million. If this latest change is approved, it will increase to just under $62 million. That’s an increase of more than 60 percent.

▪ STV Engineers Inc. would receive an additional $3.5 million for design and construction administrative services. The firm’s original contract was for $38 million. If the latest change is approved, it would increase to $50.6 million.

▪ LTK Engineering would receive $800,000 for light-rail vehicle engineering support and Kleinfelder Southeast Inc. would receive $700,000 for construction materials testing and special inspection services.

This story was originally published March 24, 2017 at 10:49 AM with the headline "CATS asks for another $24.75 million for light rail construction."