TALLAHASSEE | Florida officials are still waiting for about half the money for a bullet train linking Tampa Bay to Orlando, but are about to begin advertising for bids for the first parts of the project.
The state Department of Transportation said it will begin advertising the first project, preparing the median of Interstate 4 for trains to run in it, in November.
Advertising for other contracts, including rebuilding two I-4 exits that will have to be rebuilt after the median is widened and moving a part of the highway near Orlando slightly west, will follow in December and January. In June, the department will solicit contracts for building a maintenance facility for the rail.
“The Early Works Projects will allow the FDOT to start preliminary construction on a fast-track basis, putting Floridians to work, while also creating an unobstructed corridor in which (Florida High Speed Rail Authority) construction by the Design, Build, Operate, Maintain and Finance Contractor can occur,” Adrian Share, senior vice president and program director of passenger rail for the newly formed Florida Rail Enterprise, and engineer Brad Flom said in a memo outlining the projects.
Share and Flom said the I-4 median would be widened in 12 places. A short list of possible firms to complete the work will be selected Dec. 14, and those companies will have to submit proposals by Jan. 25. The bids will be announced Feb. 21.
Florida was one of the biggest winners in the sweepstakes early this year for high speed rail money that was included in the federal economic stimulus, winning the second largest portion of $8 billion that had been set aside by Washington.
source: The Ledger
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