Central Corridor Light Rail

An Ames Construction joint venture team constructed three miles of light rail track along the highly traveled Washington and University avenues in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The segment is part of what is now known as the Green Line, a light rail corridor that links five major centers of activity in the Twin Cities: downtown Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota, the Midway area, the Minnesota State Capitol complex, and downtown St. Paul.

The joint venture team performed extensive utility relocation and reconstruction, retaining wall construction, system-wide electrical work, station construction, aesthetic enhancements, roadway construction, environmental remediation, and significant pedestrian traffic coordination. Project scope included grading, structural concrete, and structural steel. The project used a variety of recycled and sustainable materials and methods.

Construction also included a new four-span flyover bridge over Interstate 94 and reconstruction of the Washington Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River. The reconstruction consisted of deck removal and the addition of structural steel components to allow the existing bridge to handle light rail train loads.

The project was constructed through the university’s research corridor, where a lab housed extremely sensitive equipment. To address concerns about train vibrations disrupting the work, crews implemented several unique construction methods to minimize potential impacts.

Coordination and cooperation between the Metropolitan Council, City of Minneapolis, University of Minnesota, and the Ames JV were critical to achieving unified goals and moving the project forward. Particularly challenging was the pedestrian traffic on the university’s campus—arguably the busiest pedestrian area in the state of Minnesota—as people continually moved through the work zone during staging and construction. Daily communications with stakeholders including community groups and citizens along the corridor alleviated concerns while maintaining the tight construction schedule.