Balfour Beatty awarded $9 million rail project near Petco Park in San Diego

Balfour Beatty is awarded approximately $9 million (£6.8 million) by Civic Communities to deliver the next phase of City of San Diego’s Park Boulevard at-Grade Crossing project.

Located near Petco Park and within the railroad right-of-way tracks of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF), San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad (SDIV) and the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) the new at-grade railroad crossing will provide a new vehicular roadway to connect Harbor Drive to Park Boulevard in downtown San Diego.

The rail project performed by Balfour Beatty is a part of a $27 million (£20.4 million) investment to accommodate one of the final pieces of public infrastructure for the ballpark. Balfour Beatty will execute demolition activities to remove existing tracks and overhead catenary systems (OCS) equipment. The team will also dispose of ballast and provide excavation and soil monitoring services. Additionally, Balfour Beatty will construct new railroad tracks and install overhead catenary system improvements and railroad signal infrastructure.

Will Pfeffer, Balfour Beatty area operations manager in California said: “Balfour Beatty will leverage our industry leading rail expertise as well as our self-performance capabilities in the installation of specialty crossing and signaling systems, OCS modifications, and construction of track material to deliver the next package of the Park Boulevard at-Grade Crossing project.

“Our team will work with our client and industry partners in providing the essential infrastructure and systems to improve safety and transportation for travellers crossing over Harbor Drive to the Petco Park area.”

Balfour Beatty’s work is one of two packages a part of the Park Boulevard at-Grade Crossing project. The final package involves the construction of new roadways, irrigation, landscape, grade crossing protection equipment and traffic signal improvements. Both the crossing and railroad signaling systems will be tested and completed during this phase. The final package will be awarded after the construction activities for rail package one is underway.  With the contract fully executed, Balfour Beatty will begin construction on the Park Boulevard Crossing project’s rail package in Fall 2024 with expected completion in Summer 2025.