Sundt completes light rail extension in Mesa

MESA, Ariz. (June 10, 2019) – Sundt Construction, Inc. (www.sundt.com) and its joint venture partner Stacy and Witbeck recently completed the Gilbert Road Light Rail Extension in Mesa, Arizona.

“This project will open up mobility between Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa,” said Project Manager Chris Elison. “And when you draw people in, you create business opportunities. Sundt and Stacy and Witbeck are happy to play a role in this growth for the East Valley.”

The construction manager at risk project added 1.9 miles to the existing 26-mile Valley Metro Rail system. The work included adding two new stations and expanding the light rail on Main Street in Mesa from just east of Mesa Drive to Gilbert Road. Public art installations were added at the new stations and the Main Street and Gilbert Road station’s park-and-ride facility.

The light rail extension included the country’s first four-legged roundabout with a train going through. The roundabout is intended to eliminate traffic signals at the busy intersection of Main and Horne streets. When a train is present, the east- and westbound traffic will remain free-flowing without a traffic signal and the north- and southbound traffic on Horne is controlled with a signalized gate.

During the three-year project, nearly 910,000 pounds of rebar were put in the track slab, over 650 tons of rail installed and over 9,000 cubic yards of concrete poured in the track slab. Additional work on the project included utility relocation, overhead power conversion to underground duct bank, drainage improvements and landscape work.

Sundt and its joint venture partner Stacy and Witbeck have played a leading role in building the Valley Metro Rail system for greater metro Phoenix. Since 2004 the team has built a maintenance and operations facility, more than half of the initial 20-mile light rail track, line sections 4 and 5, plus the Northwest Phoenix Extension, all winners of national industry awards.