   Photos: Construction Authority and SSH JV staff hold kick-off meeting to begin pre-construction phase for Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension
Last week, the Construction Authority initiated work with SSH Joint Venture (SSH JV), the construction manager team that was awarded the contract last month. Following issuance of the Notice to Proceed for the pre-construction phase on Monday, the Construction Authority held a kick-off meeting with SSH JV on Tuesday (shown above). The purpose of the meeting was to introduce key members of each team, overview the roles and responsibilities during the initial pre-construction phase of work, highlight the schedule for the ongoing design effort and explain how SSH JV will be coordinating with the design team, corridor cities and third parties.
As a reminder, the Construction Authority board of directors last year adopted the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method to deliver the Pomona to Claremont project. The CMAR delivery method requires two contracts: the first, for design/engineering services, was awarded to Parsons in January; the second, for the construction manager, was awarded in May to SSH JV, a team made up of Skanska USA Civil West California District Inc., Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. and Herzog Contracting Corp. Both contracts were awarded following competitive procurement processes with bids from multiple teams for each contract.
With SSH JV now on board as the construction manager, their initial contracted work will include providing constructability reviews, value engineering, third-party coordination, cost estimating, construction phasing and more to inform the design efforts being carried out by Parsons and ready the project for construction. Following the project design reaching approximately 85%, SSH JV will have the possibility of building the project if the team successfully negotiates a construction services contract with an acceptable price.
Assuming a successful negotiation, the Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension, which will include a new Metro A Line station in the city of Claremont, is expected to start major construction in late 2027 and take approximately four years to complete.
Since being awarded the design/engineering services contract earlier this year, the Parsons team has been hard at work advancing the project design, initially focusing on the underground utilities, drainage and structures in the first few months. Last week, that effort led to the design reaching its first milestone, with Parsons submitting the baseline 30% design package to the Construction Authority.
Over the next 18 months, Parsons will advance the design of all elements of the 2.3-mile light rail extension from the baseline 30% to 60%, 85% and 100% before reaching "Approved for Construction" drawings.
  Photos: Surveyors collecting data throughout Pomona to Claremont project corridor in June
To further aid the design effort, Parsons has started to deploy surveying crews along the 2.3-mile project corridor, from Garey Ave. in Pomona to Claremont Blvd. in Claremont. As seen in the photos above, surveyors have begun collecting data on existing utilities, drainage, track slope elevations and other existing conditions throughout the corridor.
  Photos: Charter/Spectrum crews completing relocation of communications lines at Towne Ave. crossing in Pomona
As reported earlier this year, the Construction Authority has been coordinating with third-party utilities to ensure the work needed to be completed within the rail corridor is scheduled ahead of major construction beginning on the Pomona to Claremont extension. Charter/Spectrum was the first to begin.
In April, Charter/Spectrum crews installed the infrastructure needed to underground their communications lines, which currently run overhead along Towne Ave. in Pomona. This month, crews returned to pull the new fiber cables, as seen in the photos above, which will be activated later this year. Once activated, the overhead cables that span the Towne Ave. crossing – where a future light rail bridge for Metro A Line trains will be constructed – will be removed.
Similar activities will be started soon at other locations along the project by other utilities.
Thank you for your interest in the Foothill Gold Line.
Lisa Levy Buch, Chief Communications and Strategic Development Officer and the Public Affairs Team
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