MESA, AZ – The 1.9-mile Gilbert Road extension of the Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority (Valley Metro) light rail transit (LRT) line will open to the public at a community celebration this Saturday, May 18. The project program management and construction management team at WSP USA, a leading engineering and professional services consultancy, is delighted to join the community to celebrate the project opening.
“Our team is thrilled to have supported this important project and we congratulate Valley Metro and the community on its completion,” said WSP area manager, Mark Yalung.
The joint venture of WSP and PGH Wong provided program management, project inspection, office support, and systems integration services for the project. The team worked very closely with Valley Metro, the City of Mesa and other stakeholders to ensure continuous communication and a timely and successful project delivery.
The new line extends LRT service along Main Street from Mesa Drive to Gilbert Road in downtown Mesa. The project involved construction of only the second roundabout in the U.S. to be incorporated into a light rail system.
Upon completion, the Gilbert Road Extension will further Valley Metro’s mission to connect communities in the Phoenix metropolitan area, improve bicycle and pedestrian access along Main Street, and integrate with arterial bus routes.
“I personally feel that every day we worked on the Gilbert Road extension we saw positive progress,” said Office Engineer, Mike Sotak. “The project team worked with Valley Metro as a cohesive group. By negotiating and collaborating early in the project, we were able to reduce construction costs by over $6 Million.”
WSP has a long history with Valley Metro, dating back to the 2008 completion of the original 20-mile, 28-station Central Phoenix/East Valley Light Rail, the longest street-running light rail starter line in the U.S. Collaboration since then has included work on additional LRT projects, including the Northwest Extension and Central Mesa Extension.
“Through its light rail network, Valley Metro is providing tremendous enhancements to the quality of life for the entire community. We take pride in working with Valley Metro to develop their light rail system,” Yalung said.
Scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Gilbert Road and Main Street Park-and-Ride, the opening celebration will allow officials to address the community, launch the departure of the first train, and offer free carnival-style games and activities and food from local businesses, as well as a limited number of free transit passes.
About WSP USA
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 9,500 employees in 150 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper. wsp.com
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