The city of MILWAUKEE has hired Kiewit Infrastructure of Omaha, Neb., as

lead contractor for its downtown modern streetcar line and construction

could could begin this fall, Milwaukee Business Journal reports:

< https://twitter.com/milwstreetcar>

< *http://tinyurl.com/heghdvv >*

Milwaukee hires lead streetcar contractor, allowing work to begin as early

as fall

Aug 19, 2016, 2:24pm CDT

*Sean Ryan*

Reporter*Milwaukee Business Journal*

Kiewit Infrastructure Co. of Omaha, Neb., was selected for the estimated

$60 million contract to lead the first phases of Milwaukee’s streetcar

construction.

The international contractor has extensive experience in transportation

projects, which weighed heavily in its selection for the Milwaukee

streetcar, said

Milwaukee Department of Public Works

commissioner Ghassan Korban

That experience shows Kiewit Infrastructure’s ability to minimize impacts

on businesses along the route, he said.

"The streetcar vehicles are being manufactured by Brookville

Equipment Corp. in Pennsylvania, and the first one will arrive in Milwaukee

in December 2017."

“They understand what it takes to build an urban rail system in the middle

of a downtown,” Korban said.

Kiewit Infrastructure was among seven companies that competed for the

Milwaukee streetcar contract. Its projects include subway work in Toronto,

a $350 million light rail project in Denver and Aurora, Colo., and rail

projects for the Chicago Transit Authority.

Kiewit Infrastructure will be construction manager for the initial downtown

loop of the streetcar, and the spur leading to the downtown lakefront. It

also will oversee construction of an operations and maintenance facility

for the streetcar vehicles on Fourth Street, underneath the interstate

bridges. The initial streetcar phase will open for service in 2018, and the

lakefront spur will start service in 2019.

Kiewit’s selection means construction work could begin in late fall on the

streetcar system, Korban said.

“The kind of work we would choose to move forward with would have to not be

impacted by inclement weather,” Korban said.

The company will coordinate project scheduling with the city in the coming

months, he said, including timing for ordering major materials such as

streetcar rails.

“They bring their insight, bring their experience to allow some tweaking to

help expedite or bring greater efficiency to the project,” Korban said.

In addition to experience, Kiewit Infrastructure committed to completing

the project within the city’s allotted budget, Korban said. It has shown a

“tremendous understanding of the local market,” to meet the city’s 21

percent goal for participation of disadvantaged business enterprises, he

said. The contractor also showed good understanding of the training

programs to help meet the city’s resident hiring programs on the

construction work.

Milwaukee residents in the Residents Preference Program are to work 40

percent of the hours on the construction project.

“They’ve shown full understanding and commitment to adhere to those

requirements,” Korban said.

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Edward B. Havens

Tucson, Ariz,.