The city of Milwaukee today issued a request for proposal for a construction manager and general contractor for phase one of the downtown streetcar project and the lakefront line extension.
Proposals are due June 1, and will be decided on in late June. Construction for phase 1 is expected to start in late summer 2016, and continue through 2017 and into 2018.
The construction manager and general contractor chosen will be responsible for installation of the rail systems, including the overhead contact wire system and streetcar stops, and all necessary civil and road work and the operations and maintenance facility.
In November, the city selected Pennsylvania-based Brookville Equipment Corp. to build the first four streetcar vehicles for $18.6 million.
The first Brookville streetcar vehicle is anticipated to be delivered in December 2017. After construction is complete, there will be a lengthy testing and start-up period.
The phase 1 streetcar line is expected to be operational in the fall 2018. The lakefront line is expected to be operational sometime in 2019.
Currently, phase 1 and the operations and maintenance facility are at a 95 percent design level, and the lakefront line is at 30 percent. The lakefront line project recently approval to proceed with the award of the federal TIGER funding last October.
Utility relocations have started in advance of the mainline construction activities last fall and are currently underway. Utility work will continue through 2016 into 2017.
In 2015, the Common Council approved the $124 million downtown streetcar project. The cost to build the system will be paid for with about $65 million in federal funds and about $59 million from tax incremental financing districts. To date, 15.4 million has been spent on the project.
