The board of the Orange County Transportation Authority voted unanimously Monday to select PGH Wong Engineering as the construction management firm for the OC Streetcar Project, a 4.15 mile light rail project that would connect Santa Ana and Garden Grove.
The vote was 11-0 in favor of selecting the company, with directors Lori Donchak, Mike Hennessey, Al Murray, Shawn Nelson and Tom Tait absent.
County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett abstained from the vote citing the Levine Act, a state law that prohibits elected officers from voting on contracts twelve months after receiving more than $250 in campaign contributions from the company receiving the contract.
PGH has managed several light rail and streetcar projects, including a 20.3 mile Central Phoenix/East Valley light rail project, regional rail projects in Sacramento and six extension projects for the San Diego Association of Governments.
Roughly a third of the design for the streetcar project is complete, with construction expected to begin in 2018. On Monday, Transportation Authority staff also told the board that the entire project is expected to cost $297.91 million, a $9.17 million increase from a previous estimate.
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