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MetroLink expansion moves forward in Illinois
The expansion is expected to cost at least $96 million and will be funded through Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's Rebuild Illinois Plan


Mid-America St. Louis (BLV) terminal

Author: Steph Kukuljan – St. Louis Business Journal
Published: 7:18 AM CDT July 28, 2020
Updated: 7:18 AM CDT July 28, 2020

ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Ill — The St. Clair County Transit District Board of Trustees has selected a company to oversee the extension of MetroLink to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport.

Gonzalez Cos. will ensure the design and construction will stay on budget and on time for the 5.5-mile extension of the light rail system from the Shiloh-Scott MetroLink Station to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in the Metro East. Officials are expected to select the design company next month, and the design process is slated to take nine to 12 months, said Ken Sharkey, managing director of the St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD).

The expansion is expected to cost at least $96 million and will be funded through Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's Rebuild Illinois Plan that was approved in 2019. An access roadway connecting to Reider Road, and adjacent to the extension, also will be constructed.

The expansion could be operational by 2023, Sharkey said.

“We are excited to partner with local firm Gonzalez Cos. on this project,” Herb Simmons, chair of the St. Clair County Board of Trustees, said in a statement. “They bring years of light rail experience to the table and will serve in the project management oversight capacity during the design and construction phases to ensure continuity throughout the project build.”

Gonzalez Cos. is a civil engineering and construction management firm that has offices in Brentwood and Belleville, as well as Chicago and Louisville. It is led by Managing Principal and CEO Carlos Huddleston and Managing Principal and COO R. Patrick Judge.

Source: MetroLink expansion moves forward in Illinois