Test Pile Driving Continues, More Contracts Awarded

Light rail progress continues with the construction of the bridge from Harbor Park to Norfolk State University. In the past few weeks, test pile driving was completed throughout this section of the alignment. The production piles are being ordered and HRT anticipates permanent pile driving will begin at the end of February. The piles used for The Tide are heavy beams of concrete driven into the earth as a foundation for the bridge structure.

More light rail construction will begin soon! In January, HRT awarded two additional contracts. The first contract was awarded to Skanska-USA who will build several bridge structures over three waterways -- Smith Creek, Moseley Creek, and Broad Creek. This contract will also involve constructing bridge structures over an active Norfolk Southern freight rail line at Sewell’s Point. Another part of the contract includes removal of single tracks on an inactive freight line and replacing them with double tracks for The Tide light rail system. The last part of this contract involves some initial work on the Vehicle Shop and Maintenance Facility which will be located near the Norfolk State University station.

The second contract was awarded to Higgerson-Buchanan for the Grandy Village environmental mitigation. To replace the wetlands approximately 1.8 acres of land will be graded and planted along the eastern branch of the Elizabeth River at the foot of Ballentine Boulevard.