The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority awarded the design-build contract for the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor Project to Walsh/Shea Corridor Constructors (WSCC), with HNTB Corp. as lead designer. The Crenshaw/LAX Line will connect the existing Green Line with the Expo Line and integrate Los Angeles International Airport into the regional rail network.

Opening in 2018, the line will travel 8.5 miles and have eight new stations. HNTB’s design work will begin immediately, with major construction starting in 2014.

WSCC has partnered with the Los Angeles Urban League to achieve community-based coordination that meets Metro’s project labor agreement goals. Working with the community, WSCC’s outreach will focus on construction mitigation, public information, jobs, diversity, interactions with labor and innovative programs.

The project’s budget is $2.058 billion. It is one of 12 transit projects being funded by Measure R, a half-cent sales tax approved in 2008 by Los Angeles County voters. It will be the first design-build project under Measure R that Metro is leading.

Four firms submitted proposals for the contract to Metro. WSCC received the highest technical score and submitted the lowest cost bid. Members of the WSCC joint venture have delivered a combined 17 rail transit projects on time and under budget in the past five years. Firms selected for the team have collaborated on $6.3 billion worth of past projects.