New Orleans — Carbarn Contract
Rail Transit Online, January 2002
The Regional Transit Authority
on Dec. 18 awarded a $13.2-million contract to a local firm, Construction
South Inc., for a facility to store and maintain a fleet of 24 replica
heritage streetcars that will equip the restored Canal Street trolley
line. The 29,000-sq.–ft. carbarn will be erected behind the RTA's existing A.
Philip Randolph operations center. The work, due for completion in the first
quarter of 2003, will include renovating and restoring a 1926 bus garage still
standing on the site. In addition to the Canal streetcars, the Riverfront
fleet will reportedly be based here and there will be space for 13 trolleys
needed to operate the future Desire corridor. Meanwhile, track installation is
underway in the neutral ground (median) of Canal Street between
Baronne and
Salcedo streets, and work on the next segment between Salcedo and City Park
Avenue will start shortly. Work is nearly finished on a $4.5-million expansion
of the old Carrollton Barn and Shop (left), where RTA shop forces are building
the new cars, five of which are in various stages of completion. Improvements
include two new lead tracks into the Barn from Jeanette Street, a new paint
booth, a wheel trueing machine and a new crane. The only large contract
remaining to be awarded is for construction of a 0.91-mile (1.46 km) branch
along North Carrollton Avenue from Canal Street to City Park. The entire
$157-million project from the Mississippi River to the Cemeteries is scheduled
to be completed in late 2003. |
|