OKC streetcar rail installation is on track to begin

Contractors will bid soon on building the downtown streetcar line, one of the single biggest MAPS 3 construction projects.

Construction of the 4.6-mile main line and 2.3-mile Bricktown loop is estimated to cost $57.2 million.

“We are right on budget,” consultant Mark Dorn told a MAPS 3 advisory subcommittee this week.

Including six streetcars and a maintenance shop, the streetcar system is expected to cost $131 million.

Installation of the rails is expected to begin in November and take nearly two years.

Preparations have begun to coordinate business activities and special events with the construction schedule as work proceeds.

The streetcar’s main line will link Midtown and Bricktown, passing through the

Central Business District.

Stops will serve St. Anthony Hospital and Automobile Alley, the MAPS 3 convention center and park, and Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Bricktown loop will give the system flexibility for frequent service between Bricktown and the convention center district, including the arena.

The MAPS 3 Citizens Advisory Board voted Thursday to recommend the city council approve final plans for the route and authorize the city clerk to seek construction bids.

The council is to give final approval to advertise for bids on Tuesday. Bids will be due Oct. 11, with selection of a contractor set for Nov. 8.

The detailed drawings outlining the plans for construction of the streetcar line run to 1,200 pages. A set weighs an estimated 150 pounds.