On Feb. 10, the Metropolitan Council awarded a $26.1 million contract to Thomas and Sons Construction Inc. for construction of the METRO D Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.
“This project is another step towards Metro Transit’s commitment to advancing equity,” Shahin Khazrajafari, project manager said. “The Route 5 corridor is providing the greatest number of essential trips for customers during the pandemic.”
With this contract, Thomas and Sons will construct 40 stations at 30 intersections. Across the 18-mile corridor, they will install fiber communication infrastructure for these intersections. Construction will also include locally requested pedestrian and signal improvements at station intersections, funded and developed in coordination with Hennepin County, and the cities of Minneapolis and Bloomington.
This $75 million BRT project is funded by a mix of federal grants, Council funds, and $20 million in state bonds.
Construction is planned to start this spring and continue through 2022. The D Line is planned to open for service in late 2022.
The D Line will substantially replace Route 5, the Twin Cities' busiest route, and connect neighborhoods and destinations in Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis, Richfield, and Bloomington.