Final Contracts Set for South Shore Double Track Project

The final contracts for the South Shore Line Double Track project in northwest Indiana have been approved. Our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana report the approval further puts the nearly $500 million project on track for completion in 2024.

The project expands the South Shore Line from a single track to a double track between Gary and Michigan City. It also includes various infrastructure improvements at five passenger stations, including construct, signal, power and platform upgrades.

The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District board on Monday approved a more than $300 million construction contract for a joint venture that includes Indianapolis-based Walsh Construction Co.

The contract is the result of a second bid for the project earlier this year. The original bids came in around $400 million and the NITCTD looked to bring the project closer to the anticipated $228 million figure.

Additionally, the board approved a $2.9 million contract for upgrades at the Portage/Ogden Dunes Station, as well as an $8.7 million contract for upgrades to the railroad’s Positive Train Control system, and an $8.7 million contract for bus service during portions of the project, according to the publication.

“They truly are historic,” South Shore President Michael Noland told the board. “The contracts you just approved, especially the Double Track 1 main contract, allowing Walsh to begin construction, is the culmination of many, many, many years of effort. It’s an exciting point in time, and we cannot wait to get Walsh out in the field and start to turn dirt.”

You can read more on the work being performed from The Times of Northwest Indiana by clicking here.