REPORT: VTA to Select New Tunnel Contractor

Metro-magazine.com reported June 30 that the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board of Directors accepted staff’s recommendation to select a new tunnel contractor for its BART Silicon Valley Phase II project. VTA cited cost proposals that exceeded project budget limits as the reason for the change, according to the report.

VTA awarded a two-stage progressive design-build contract to Kiewit Shea Traylor (KST) JV in May 2022. Stage 1 activities included investigation of innovations, engineering and design, open book cost estimates, and the work schedule, with Stage 2 consisting of major construction including tunnel boring.

KST will complete early works, including the tunnel launch structure. Metro-magazine.com reported that VTA will initiate a competitive procurement process in the coming months.

Engineering News-Record (ENR) reported that project cost estimates were approximately $7 billion at the time the Stage 1 contract was awarded. More recent estimates were approximately $12.7 billion.

With the contract changes, revenue service is not projected to begin in 2039, according to ENR.

BSVII Project is a six-mile, four-station extension that will bring BART service from Berryessa/North San José through downtown San José to the City of Santa Clara, includes three stations with underground platforms (28th Street/Little Portugal, Downtown San José, and Diridon), one ground-level station (Santa Clara), a train maintenance and storage facility at Newhall Yard, and additional facilities. Five miles of the six-mile alignment is planned to be constructed in a large diameter single-bore tunnel, with the remaining one mile at-grade rail.

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