Years of planning, meetings, and hard work were rewarded today. The F.H. Paschen Ragnar Benson Joint Venture (FHP/RB), with Jacobs as the lead designer, was awarded a contract with Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD).
“F.H. Paschen Ragnar Benson Joint Venture is excited to move forward on the West Lake Corridor project,” said Jim Blair, F.H. Paschen CEO and President. “We look forward to partnering with NICTD and local businesses throughout the project and for many years to come.”
The selection of our team was made by NICTD after the evaluation of the technical proposal and public opening of the price proposal. The best price and best value matrix graded the FHP/RB team higher than our competition. One of the main differentiators was our team’s design, which had a greater score than our competitor.
“This ground breaking is over three decades in the making, and represents the start of the largest public transit investment in Indiana’s history,” said Chris Beck, NICTD’s Project Manager for the West Lake Corridor project. “NICTD is excited to be working with the F.H. Paschen Ragnar Benson Joint Venture team to build this monumental project that is so important to residents of Indiana. This team’s qualifications and experience will serve us well to overcome the many challenges we will face to design and build this project. Designing and building a commuter railroad involves many complicated civil and electrical aspects, but we are confident the F.H. Paschen Ragnar Benson team will deliver a successful project.”
The project known as the West Lake Corridor expansion will run eight miles from the South Shore line in Hammond to the Munster-Dyer town line. The project includes the new construction of four stations, 8 miles of new track, related infrastructure, 42 bridges, and structures.
This pursuit was the culmination of a true team effort. The resume and portfolio built over the years by F.H. Paschen’s Building and Civil Departments were major factors contributing to our project award.
“The West Lake Corridor is the single largest investment in NICTD’s commuter rail system in our 112- year history,” said Mike Noland, NICTD’s President. “After an extensive design/build procurement, the F.H. Paschen Ragnar Benson Joint Venture was determined to be the best value proposer for the project. After spending extensive time with their team, we have a high degree of confidence that they will be a true partner to complete this project on-time and within budget. Our project partners, the NWI RDA and the Indiana Finance Authority are truly excited to begin this project and unlock the tremendous transportation and economic benefits that it will produce.”
The magnitude of this selection cannot be understated. F.H. Paschen’s standing in the industry is fortified with this project in the design/build marketplace!