“Combining our rail and civil skill sets has been part of our strategy, and it’s a commitment we’ve all been focused on intently,” said Mark Johnnie, vice president of Balfour Beatty Infrastructure’s Southeast Region. “This marks our first rail civils project win in the Southeast.”
The Lynx Blue Line extension entails 4.5 miles of civil work that will support construction of the double-track light rail transit system. Work is set to start in late February and the project will run for 26 months.
“Winning this job gives us the opportunity to be more strategic in the way we approach upcoming bids,” Johnnie said. “Our divisions, Balfour Beatty Rail and Fru-Con, were involved in this bidding process, offering their recommendations and expertise. That certainly gave us an edge.”
Both the Rail Services and Transit divisions of Balfour Beatty Rail were integral to the bid process, he added. Transit estimating teams examined the project drawings, and a team from Rail Services gave recommendations on issues uch as removal and relocation of track. Fru-Con also helped by providing advice and cost analyses of dewatering, temporary water treatment operations and contaminated soil removal.
“It’s a great example of how we can bring together our different disciplines and strengths to benefit the entire company,” said Johnnie.
This is the first of two civils contracts associated with the project. “Generally speaking, civils comprise 50% of any rail job,” said Ray Bond, president and CEO of Balfour Beatty Infrastructure. “When an opportunity arises within the geographies we serve, our civil and rail operations will work in tandem. We’re pleased to see our first such project in the southeast region, and we look forward to seeing many more.”
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