Skanska USA Civil Northeast, in a joint venture with ECCO III and Jacobs, was awarded a $280 million design-build contract from Metro-North Railroad to expand a service and maintenance facility for trains in New York. The design-build contract covers the third phase of an expansion and renovation of the Croton-Harmon Yard north of New York City.
The contract calls for the design and construction of a locomotive shop and a coach shop along with new track work, utility and site upgrades.
This work is being conducted in Metro-North’s busiest yard, while all rail operations must proceed with minimal disruption.
The coach shop will be 110,000 square-feet; the locomotive shop will be 75,000 square feet and will accommodate eight train cars — four more than the existing repair building. The project also includes installation of nearly 14,700 linear feet of rail track and construction of 42,500 feet of duct bank.
The joint venture is providing a state-of-the-art train car hoist system and body stands designed to handle several trains along with providing turntables, drop tables and truck manipulator machines that will service the train sets.
Soil conditions and a high-water table require the use of more than 1,400 piles, many to depths of 100 feet. Crews are also responsible for excavation and disposal of more than 100,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil.
The team also will use fill excavated from two earlier phases to raise the ground level.
The project calls for installing more than 2,400 feet of storm water piping and 4,200 feet of electrical ductwork. The contract includes procurement, installation and commissioning of equipment for both new shops.
Several challenges of this fast-track project include construction of two facilities simultaneously, extensive earthwork including handling excavated material and ground water management for utility and construction activities.
On a separate contract, the same joint venture completed construction of a new 14,000-square-foot wheel truing facility also located at Harmon Yard. The 205-foot-long facility contains Metro-North’s first tandem wheel truing lathe. This includes providing all power, air and HVAC required to operate the wheel truer as well as all lighting, fire protection and water systems. The one-story building also features concrete inspection and work pits.
The project was constructed according to an extremely aggressive schedule and involved close coordination with the wheel truing manufacturer.