Transit authority Monday Capital Metro took a step toward completing plans for the installation second set of train tracks for portion of its the Red Line and related improvements Monday. The transit agency's board authorized CEO Dottie Watkins to finalize a deal with the city of Austin to install street upgrades beyond the scope of the work on the train tracks, KUT reported Tuesday.
The new 0.7-mile Red Line track will run along East Fifth Street from Onion Street to Robert T. Martinez Street, a route that includes the Saltillo Plaza station. The project will include the construction of a second platform and signals at Plaza Saltillo; new bike and pedestrian infrastructure between Chicon and Pedernales streets; reconfiguration of a section of East Fifth Street along the rail route; safety improvements; and train control modifications.
Adding a second set of tracks, or double-tracking, enables more frequent train trips along the route, which includes the Plaza Saltillo station.
Under the newly authorized contract, the city will install sidewalks and improve better crosswalks along East Fifth Street. The agreement includes safety upgrades, new raised crossings at Onion and Robert T. Martinez Jr. streets, and crossing islands at Chicon Street and Robert T. Martinez, and the installation of a continuous trail along the southern side of the track, KUT reported.
The project's budget is $32.2 million. CapMetro will put in $13.2 million, and the city of Austin will contribute $900,000.
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded Capital Metro an $18 million grant for the double-tracking project. The money came from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program, which was expanded under the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed in 2021.
Capital Metro will develop designs for the project in 2025. It expects construction to start in 2026 and last about two years.
