The California High-Speed Rail Authority has announced its preferred bidder for the next phase of construction work between Fresno and Bakersfield.
In a statement, the authority said it had identified a $1.2 billion bid from a Dragados/Flatiron/Shimmick consortium as the best value for money.
Construction Package 2-3Â (CP 2-3) covers a 105-kilometre section of the route in the Central Valley from Fresno to just north of Bakersfield.
Authority chief executive Jeff Morales said: “Today is a significant milestone as we continue building the nation’s first high-speed rail system.
“The proposals underscore the value of world class competition and the design-build approach to deliver high-speed rail in California.”
Bids were judged 30 per cent on technical merit and 70 per cent on overall cost.
Phase one of California’s first high-speed rail line will connect Los Angeles and San Francisco. The full 1,300-kilometre route could eventually extend the corridor to link to Sacramento in the north and San Diego in the south.
