Arup Celebrates Major Milestone for the Green Line Extension Project

BOSTON, Dec. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Arup, the global design and consulting firm for the built environment, is acting as the owner's design professional for the Green Line Extension Project (GLX), an expansion of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) regional transit system. The MBTA selected a joint venture, GLX Constructors, to serve as the GLX's design-build firm on November 20, 2017.

Arup is providing critical oversight and guidance throughout the project's planning and construction process. The 4.3 mile extension will bring much-needed transit service to the Somerville, Cambridge, and Medford communities, and serve a daily ridership of 45,000.

In addition to track infrastructure and seven station stops, the selected bid includes platform canopies, additional elevators at select stations, public art, additional community connection to the community path located on Chester Street in Somerville, extension of the community path between East Somerville and Lechmere Stations, and an enhanced vehicle maintenance facility in Somerville.

"This strategic milestone for the Green Line Extension was achieved through significant collaboration between Arup, the MBTA GLX leadership, MassDOT and the overall GLX project team. We are excited to help make the Green Line Extension a reality," said project director Jeffrey Tubbs, Arup Principal.

Initially, Arup was brought in as a consultant at a critical juncture of the project: the budget had escalated to the point where federal funding was suspended. Arup reevaluated the scope of the work, and generated a revised project scope, budget, and schedule, allowing the long-delayed project to move forward again.

Hemal Patel, Arup project manager for the GLX, said, "We are thrilled that the redefinition of the GLX has been validated through the design-build selection process. Arup's team is committed to helping GLX Constructors deliver the project by 2021."

"Having steered the GLX through the project redefinition stage, our multi-disciplinary technical team is looking forward to continued involvement through the procurement, design, and construction stages. Knowing that our work will make a difference to the people of Boston and its surrounding areas makes this a great project of which to be a part," said Mike Hall, Arup Associate Principal.

Arup has over 50 years of experience in the design of rail and transit systems. An integrated approach to master and strategic planning and total infrastructure improvement programs is a hallmark of the firm's rail work. Arup has had a leading role in the planning and design of some of the industry's most challenging projects across the globe. Projects include Second Avenue Subway, No. 7 Line Extension, and East Side Access in New York City; new rail connectivity in San Francisco: Core Capacity Study, Transbay Transit Center, and Central Subway Phase 2; London's Crossrail and Thameslink; Sydney Metro, Melbourne Metro, and Brisbane Cross River Rail in Australia; and Copenhagen Cityringen. Arup is currently completing a feasibility reassessment study on a potential North-South Rail link for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation in Boston.

Arup has been a strong local presence in the Boston area for 20 years. In that time, the Boston office has worked with a broad range of clients including many of the best regarded firms, institutions, and agencies in the region. Current and recent projects include Northeastern University Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex, Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building at Dudley Square, MIT Site 4 Graduate Student Tower, Boston Properties Back Bay Station mixed use development, and Partners Healthcare Resiliency Masterplan.

About Arup
Arup provides planning, engineering, design, and consulting services for the most prominent projects and sites in the built environment. Since its founding in 1946, the firm has consistently delivered technical excellence, innovation, and value to its clients, while maintaining its core mission of shaping a better world. Arup opened its first US office more than 30 years ago and now employs 1,400 people in the Americas. The firm's employee-ownership structure promotes ongoing investment in joint research to yield better outcomes that benefit its clients and partners. Visit Arup's website, www.arup.com, and the online magazine of Arup in the Americas, doggerel.arup.com, for more information.

Contact: Rebecca Maloney
erebecca.maloney@arup.com
d +1 617 349 9226  
m +1 617 412 6632

www.arup.com
doggerel.arup.com

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