Andrew Ausel  |  October 7, 2015

According to a press release from the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) Board of Directors, HNTB Corporation has been awarded the Project and Construction Management contract for the Construction Package 4 of the California high-speed rail project. As the Project and Construction Management team, HNTB will provide design and construction oversight for the next 22 miles of construction in the Central Valley.

As the project is concurrently under a design-build contract, HNTB will work with the Authority and the design-build contractor to identify, manage and mitigate project risks and ensure technical and contract requirements – including costs – are met. Specific Project and Construction Management duties include oversight of inspection and testing of the high-speed rail infrastructure, technical and environmental compliance including hazmat oversight, utility relocation, construction safety and public outreach. HNTB is a long-time member of the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA).

The oversight provided by this contract minimizes construction risks and ensures Californians the effective delivery of a high-speed rail system. To ensure this, the Authority utilized several of DBIA’s best practices, in both the RFP/RFQ process and in structuring the contract. For example, HNTB was selected after an extensive interview process and several reviews of qualifications during a competitive bidding process among three world-renowned firms. Furthermore the agreed upon contract allows HNTB to receive up to $30 million based on actual work performed over a period of around five years.

The California high-speed rail, when completed, will be the first of its kind in the United States. By 2029, the system will run from San Francisco to the Los Angeles basin in under three hours at speeds capable of over 200 miles per hour. The system will eventually extend to Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24 stations.