Written by Joe Malone - 07 Mar 2016 (International Construction)

Spanish engineering company Ferrovial has signed a contract with the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) to design and build a 35 km section of high-speed railway line in the Central Valley, California, US.

The contract is worth US$ 442 million, which includes $ 107 million for the relocation of gas, power and communications networks.

The line, between Wasko and Shafter, forms part of the 161 km central section of the high-speed railway line between Fresno and Bakersfield, which connects Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The work will include at-grade, retained fill and aerial sections of the alignment, the relocation of four miles of existing line, the construction of waterway and wildlife crossings, as well as roadway reconstruction, relocations and closures. This phase has already received state and federal environmental clearances. Work is scheduled to be completed in 2018.

The agreement states that 30% of the work must be outsourced to small local state-certified employers. It also includes acceptance of the Community Benefits Agreement, designed to enable workers in disadvantaged groups to benefit from work and training opportunities.