Since mid-October, Capitol Heights-based Pessoa Construction has been performing utility relocations along Wayne Avenue in Silver Spring and Kenilworth Avenue in Riverdale for the Maryland Purple Line project.
The Pessoa contract was one of the first Purple Line contracts to be assumed by the Maryland Transit Administration, according to Purple Line representatives.
This month, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced that MDOT and MTA have assumed many of the Purple Line’s contracts, including the manufacturing of light-rail cars, operations, and maintenance, as well as design and construction contracts:
“MDOT and MTA have assumed the Purple Line’s key contracts and hundreds of subcontracts to continue the delivery of the Purple Line, “ said MDOT spokesperson Erin Henson in a press release, issued today. “On Tuesday, September 28, MDOT and MTA officially took over the day-to-day management of moving the Purple Line construction forward to deliver this important transit project as quickly as possible.”
Purple Line Transit Constructors (PLTC), the design-build contractors of the Maryland Purple Line, notified Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP) in May that it would leave the project because of the project days and cost overruns, triggering a layoff of more than 700 workers, if a settlement couldn’t be reached with the MTA.
According to Bethesda Beat, the MTA in August filed a lawsuit in Baltimore City Circuit Court, and a judge issued a temporary restraining order to keep the workers on the job through September 14. The state had sought an injunction to keep PLTP from leaving the job, but on September 10, Judge Jeffrey Geller denied the state’s request, allowing the workers to leave the job. PLTP filed a countersuit on September 15, claiming the state breached its contract and caused cost overruns and project delays. PLTC halted construction later that month.
Most of the utility relocations being performed by Pessoa have been occurring during daylight hours, with some work being performed overnight. This week, crews began to perform overnight utility relocations on Wayne Avenue between Dale Drive and Fenton Street, continuing for approximately one month, weather permitting.
The latest construction updates can be found on the Maryland Purple Line website.
Graphic courtesy Maryland Purple Line