Southeast Rail Line extension right around the corner
Architectural drawing of the RidgeGate parking garage and bus transfer facility.
By Patte Smith; map courtesy of the Regional Transportation District (RTD)
The new 2.3-mile extension of RTD’s Southeast Light Rail is currently being designed and will be built by Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. (BBII).
RTD’s board of directors awarded the $140 million contract to BBII this past July. Construction of the rail line is planned to begin in spring 2016. BBII has committed to completing construction by early 2019 but construction is dependent on the award of the Full Funding Grant Agreement from the Federal Transit Administration.
RTD Board Chair Chuck Sisk noted that “local businesses and governments in southeast metro Denver came together to make an impressive contribution to the cost of the project.”
The extension includes three new light rail stations. Traveling south along the west side of I-25 from the Lincoln Station a 5-span, 620 foot-long bridge will cross over Lincoln Avenue with the first stop at a “kiss-n-ride” located near Sky Ridge Medical Center. The light rail will then proceed east over I-25 on an 11-span, 1,397 foot-long bridge to the second station located at the future-planned Lone Tree City Center. Continuing south, a 4-span, 506 foot-long bridge will be built over RidgeGate Parkway where the light rail will reach the end-of-line station located on the south side of RidgeGate Parkway, east of I-25 and west of Havana Street. At this end-of-line station a 1,300-space, 4-level parking garage and bus transfer facility will be built.
When the extension is completed in 2019, residents will be able to travel from the RidgeGate station on the new R Line through Aurora to Peoria Station and connect to the commuter train to Denver International Airport. The E Line from RidgeGate will travel from RidgeGate to Union Station and the F Line to 18th and California in downtown Denver.
“This extension will make it possible for RTD to connect people in a rapidly growing part of the metro area to the rest of the region, including Denver International Airport,” stated Dave Genova, RTD’s interim general manager.
For more information about the Southeast Rail Extension visit www.rtd-fastracks.com or call 720-648-4740.
