The project will extend the existing lines E and F 3.7km south from their current terminus at Lincoln, following the I-25 highway corridor to the south side of RidgeGate Parkway in Douglas County.
RTD has set the total budget for the extension at $US 233.1m, which includes $US 34m already spent on environmental analysis, preliminary engineering and design and acquisition of eight LRVs. The remaining $198.7m will be financed through a combination of federal, private and local sources, with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) set to provide half of the funding through its New Starts programme. The project has been accepted into FTA's New Start's engineering phase and is included in President Barack Obama's Fiscal Year 2016 budget.
The RTD Board is expected to agree a two-phased contract award at its July 28 meeting, with the second phase being dependent on the FTA grant.
Construction is expected to start in the second quarter of next year and the extension will open in 2019.
