Northwest Extension Phase II Light Rail

Phoenix, Arizona

The Northwest Extension Phase II Light Rail project is a key component of the City of Phoenix’s Transportation 2050 plan, designed to improve regional mobility and expand Valley Metro’s rail system to 30 miles. Opening in January 2024, this 1.6-mile extension connects the West Valley to central Phoenix, providing vital transit access from Mesa, Tempe, and downtown Phoenix to northwest Phoenix. The extension is anticipated to attract 1,400 new riders with that number increasing up to 5,100 by 2040, improving regional connectivity and reducing road congestion.

This project marked several milestones for Valley Metro, including the system’s first elevated light rail track and station, the first rail-only bridge over Interstate-17, and the first multi-modal transit center and parking structure for the system. It also utilized innovative construction techniques, such as substituting steel fiber in the concrete mix for the embedded guideway, developed in partnership with Arizona State University. This solution reduced concrete thickness and cut construction time by 121 days, saving millions of dollars.

The project faced various challenges, including a public referendum on light rail, construction labor shortages exacerbated by COVID-19, and delays in utility relocations. The joint venture team of Kiewit and McCarthy (KMJV) successfully navigated these obstacles by resequencing tasks, adding shifts, and leveraging resources. With project design at about 15%, a cost-saving workshop with stakeholders, including Valley Metro and the City of Phoenix, led to 141 value-engineering ideas, saving $61 million.

Guided by a formal partnering program early on, the team participated in partnering workshops and follow-up partnering meetings, setting and evaluating team goals, procedures for issue resolution and communications, as well as addressing key tasks and milestones to keep the project on track. Partnering surveys were used between meetings to evaluate the partnership and team goals. A lessons learned project closeout meeting captured the team’s experiences to serve as a model for future projects.

In the spirit of partnering, both JV firms were equally involved in planning and decision-making, as well as in allocating internal resources to each other to achieve the best possible outcomes. Extensive self-performance, including 21,000 linear ft of underground utility relocations, earthwork, bridge widenings, the I-17 overpass bridge, MSE walls, concrete for the Metro Center Station and all the double-track installation, helped ensure project control and cost management.

Community engagement was another team focus, from mitigating impacts to the public and businesses during construction to the design of the project. Reflecting the character and history of the region, various art elements were installed along the extension.

Despite labor shortages and the pandemic’s strain on utility companies, the project team’s strategic partnering commitments helped the project meet, and often exceed its goals, achieving $40 million in savings and delivering the project ahead of schedule with an impressive safety record.