Global design firm Stantec will serve as the lead engineer for the recent award of a $1.9 billion design-build commuter rail expansion for the Metropolitan Transportation Agency's (MTA) Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) in Nassau County, N.Y.

The project will add a 9.8-mile third track and critical capacity for LIRR’s heavily used Main Line that carries more than 300,000 passengers daily. The project site, from Floral Park to Hicksville, is in the top two busiest commuter rail lines in North America.

The project also includes the expansion of eight existing LIRR bridges over local streets, six LIRR station improvements and the safety improvements resulting from eliminating seven street-level grade crossings, along with the related improvements to railroad infrastructure, including signal, power, and communication systems. The third track will be placed within the existing LIRR right-of-way. Coupled with the use of recent technological advances in the transportation industry, this approach will significantly reduce construction impacts to the local community, according to the company.

MTA officials say the long-awaited program will create a more reliable network, faster commuting, greater safety, fewer delays along the entire network, and an overall better commuting experience.

In January, the  MTA awarded this project  to 3rd Track Constructors (3TC), a consortium of leading construction firms including Dragados USA Inc., John P. Picone Inc., CCA Civil Inc., and Halmar International LLC. Stantec is the lead engineer for the consortium and will lead all rail, building, and infrastructure improvements.

The LIRR project is among Stantec’s largest transportation programs. More than 150 engineering, architecture, and science professionals will be assigned over the course of the project. Pre-construction activities will begin this quarter.