Contract award sets 2.3-mile Metro A Line Extension on track for major construction to begin as soon as late 2027
MONROVIA, Calif., May 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At their meeting today, the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority (Construction Authority) board of directors voted unanimously to award the construction manager contract for the 2.3-mile Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension to SSH Joint Venture (SSH), a team made up of Skanska USA Civil West California District Inc., Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. and Herzog Contracting Corp. The contract award came on the heels of a competitive procurement process that saw bids from four well-qualified teams. The construction manager contract is the second of two major contracts now awarded to deliver the Pomona to Claremont project using the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method adopted by the board for the project last year.
“Today’s award is a major step forward to getting the Metro A Line to Claremont,” stated Foothill Gold Line Board Chair and Claremont Vice Mayor Ed Reece. “SSH is a highly experienced team, and they will put that know-how to work over the next year to support the final project design, currently being developed by Parsons, to ensure the design is optimized for constructability and effectiveness; while also becoming deeply engaged in all aspects of the project’s planning, so they can provide the Construction Authority a price to build the project that eliminates unnecessary risk and is based on the most efficient construction plan possible.”
The contract award today includes the authorization for $6.3 million to be used for the initial 18-month preconstruction phase, during which SSH will be responsible for supporting the ongoing design efforts currently underway by Parsons Transportation Group, Inc. (Parsons), the team awarded the first contract for design and engineering services. SSH’s role during this initial phase will include providing constructability reviews, value engineering, third-party coordination and cost estimating, among other activities that will help inform the design. After the project design reaches approximately 85% completion, SSH will have the possibility of building the project if the team successfully negotiates a construction services contract with an acceptable price – anticipated in Fall 2027.
“The Construction Authority was looking for a team that would not only provide great value during the initial preconstruction phase, but one that would do an excellent job building the project if they are successful at negotiating a construction contract with us next year, and I am pleased that we had a highly competitive procurement that saw four qualified teams vying for the work,” added Chair Reece. “We are confident that SSH is an excellent selection, and we look forward to their efforts in the months ahead that will support the best design possible while also developing the best approach to building this important regional project.”
SSH ranked the highest overall of the four teams competing for the contract, following review of their written proposals, in-person interviews and cost. Each team was rated on management approach; experience, personnel and performance; interview performance; approach to working in a complex right-of-way corridor with Metrolink/SCRRA; and approach to light rail systems. Because the full cost of constructing the project won’t be determined until after the project design reaches about 85%, the procurement process used a formula that compared the four teams based on their preconstruction phase cost proposals and profit and overhead figures. Ultimately, the teams were ranked on a “best value” approach, in which technical scores and interview performance were weighted significantly heavier than the results of the price formula. SSH was ranked highest overall and determined to be the team providing the “best value.”
With today’s award, the Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension, which will include a new Metro A Line station in the City of Claremont, is on track toward an expected late-2027 start of major construction. It is expected that once major construction begins, it will take approximately four years to complete. Once completed, the extension will provide environmentally friendly, car-free access to Claremont’s downtown – the Claremont Village – the prestigious seven-campus Claremont Colleges, new housing developments, regional parks and more.
In another key decision today, the Construction Authority board also voted unanimously to approve an amendment to the ongoing Master Cooperative Agreement (MCA) between the Construction Authority and LA Metro. The MCA lays out the roles and responsibilities of each agency as they work together over the course of the project’s design, construction and testing; with the Construction Authority turning the completed project over to LA Metro to operate. The MCA was amended to clarify how the agreement would apply to a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method, which is being used to deliver the Pomona to Claremont segment. The MCA Amendment is on the agenda for approval at tomorrow’s Metro board of directors meeting.
About the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority – The Construction Authority is an independent transportation planning and construction agency created in 1998 by the California State Legislature to plan, design and build the Metro A Line system from Union Station to Claremont (later extended to Montclair). Over the last 26 years, the agency has successfully completed more than 34 miles of light rail and 23 stations over three construction segments – Union Station to Pasadena in 2003, Pasadena to Azusa in 2015, and Glendora to Pomona in 2025 – all on time and on budget. The final 3.3-mile, two-station project segment from Pomona to Montclair, which will include stations in the cities of Claremont and Montclair, will be built in separate projects. The Claremont to Montclair project is currently on hold following San Bernardino County’s decision in late 2025 to remove local funding for the project and stop negotiating with the Construction Authority. The Pomona to Claremont extension received $798 million in funding from LA Metro in 2024 through SB 125 and is underway with final design.
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SOURCE Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority
