PB wins $86M Honolulu contract

PB Americas has been awarded an $86 million contract to do the preliminary engineering and environmental impact study for Honolulu’s new fixed-rail mass transit project.

PB Americas, the new name for the planning and engineering company Parsons Brinckerhoff, is expected to take about two and a half years to complete the work, city officials say.

The bulk of the contract, $79 million, covers engineering for the system, including the selection of a technology type for the project. The city is envisioning an elevated, fixed-rail project that could be powered by electricity or magnetic levitation.

Included in the contract is $9 million for technology and vehicle selection, $2 million for rights-of-way assessment; $3 million for public outreach; $12 million for project control; and $53 million for engineering, including architectural, mechanical, electrical and structural design.