Hennepin County contracted this design-build project to a joint venture of EE&K (Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, a Perkins Eastman company) and Knutson Construction. Knutson contracted with RailWorks for track and transit and systems work valued at more than $10 million. RailWorks companies RailWorks Track Systems, RailWorks Track Services, L.K. Comstock National Transit, and HSQ Technology combined forces on this project, which features a relocated Target Field Station as a central element. RailWorks Track Systems provided project management.
Work began with demolition of portions of the existing Hiawatha light rail system near the former Target Field Station. In October 2012, L.K. Comstock National Transit removed the catenary system and wayside signal equipment. Then RailWorks Track Services removed 1,428 feet of track to make way for new construction, which started in July 2013.
During the construction portion, which occurred during one of the coldest winters in the Twin Cities on record, with 66 days of subzero weather, RailWorks Track Services installed more than 3,000 of new guideway consisting of direct-fixation and ballasted sections. It also installed a pair of No. 6 single turnouts and a No. 6 crossover. Track work was completed in January 2014. L.K. Comstock National Transit started work in October 2013 to install and test the OCS and signal system, which included all wayside signal equipment and two signal houses. At the same time, HSQ Technology was designing and testing the communication system, which includes communication for the new Target Field Station platform, and telephone, public address, and closed-circuit television systems. L.K. Comstock National Transit installed the communication system. RailWorks completed system testing on April 18.