Kiewit Infrastructure West Co., has been recommend by a Sound Transit committee to be awarded a $1.41 billion contract to design and construct a 7.8-mile light rail extension from SeaTac through Kent to Federal Way.
The System Expansion Committee recommended Thursday that the full board on May 23 select Nebraska-based Kiewit, which has Washington offices in Federal Way, Seattle and Vancouver.
Three companies submitted proposals. Sound Transit staff picked Kiewit based on the technical evaluation and the price score equation, according to Sound Transit documents.
“Scored criteria included outreach efforts and commitments to small businesses; technical approach to design and construction, organization and management, and schedule and risk,” according to documents. “Additional criteria included financial capacity and capability to perform the work.”
Price proposals were not opened until technical evaluations were complete and technical scores were established, Sound Transit said. Proposal prices were scored in accordance with the price scoring equation included in the request for proposals. Kiewit came in about $300 million below the Sound Transit estimate and within the baseline budget approved by the board for the Federal Way Link Extension project.
Construction is expected to start in early 2020 and be completed in 2024, according to Sound Transit. The company will build the light rail guideway (elevated in some areas and at-grade in others) from Angle Lake Station at South 200th Street in SeaTac to the Federal Way Transit Center at South 317th Street.
In addition to the guideway, Kiewit will design and build three light rail stations and parking garages – in Kent/Des Moines at 30th Avenue South and Pacific Highway South; at South 272nd Street near Interstate 5 in Kent; and at the Federal Way Transit Center.
The contract with Kiewit includes $1.28 billion with a 10 percent contingency of $128 million for a total amount not to exceed $1.41 billion.
The total cost of the Federal Way Link Extension is an estimated $3.1 billion, which includes Sound Transit’s costs for land acquisition needed to extend the line as well as 20 new light rail vehicles and other costs. Sound Transit receives most of its funding from voter-approved sales taxes, vehicle tab fees and property taxes. The agency also has applied for a $790 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to help fund the extension.
Kiewit has offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Australia. The company offers construction and engineering services in a variety of markets including transportation, water/wastewater, power, oil, gas and chemical, building and mining. Kiewit had 2016 revenues of $8.6 billion and employs more than 20,000 staff and craft employees, according to the company’s website. Also known as Peter Kiewit and Sons, it is ranked 339th on the 2018 Fortune 500 list.
