San Antonio’s VIA Metropolitan Transit Authority has selected a Flatiron-Herzog team to construct the $446.3 million North-South Corridor Advanced Rapid Transit project, commonly called the Green Line, Flatiron said in a news release.
The builders, based respectively in Broomfield, Colorado, and St. Joseph, Missouri, will deliver the project through a construction manager-at-risk contract. It’s not the first time the two have collaborated: Flatiron and Herzog are also building two Amtrak bridges in Maryland.
The 12-mile bus line — a major component of VIA’s Keep San Antonio Moving program — will run north to south through the city, providing riders with speed and frequency comparable to a light rail. When complete, it will connect the San Antonio International Airport to downtown and other high-density commercial and residential areas, according to VIA.
Work entails building 26 new bus stations as well as dedicated bus lanes, Flatiron said in the release. The project received environmental approval earlier this month, according to VIA, and is being built with federal and local taxpayer funds.
“This transformational collaborative project will connect San Antonio’s vibrant communities while providing an efficient route through the heart of the city,” said Dale Nelson, Flatiron executive vice president for operations, in the release. “The Green Line will speed residents to major employment centers and enhance affordable access to medical facilities and other necessities of daily life.”
Bus rapid transit has been gaining popularity across the U.S. in recent years, due to the lower emissions compared to cars and lower cost and greater flexibility compared to trains. These systems represent a growing percentage of Flatiron’s work, according to the company. It’s also the first bus rapid transit project in San Antonio, per VIA.
The Green Line project also reinforces Flatiron’s strategy to secure contracts with balanced risk profiles and opportunities for enhanced collaboration with clients, the company said in the release.
Construction is expected to start early next year and the line is slated to be complete by 2027. Plans for an east-west bus rapid transit route, dubbed the Silver Line, are also underway, according to VIA.