The initial $7.1-billion phase of a light rail transit line for the city of Austin, Texas, took a step toward reality on June 5, with the start of a two-step progressive design-build procurement process that aims to get construction underway in 2027.

Austin Transit Partnership (ATP), a public corporation created by the City of Austin and the Capital Metro Transportation Authority to oversee the program’s financing, design, construction and overall implementation, issued a request for qualifications for final design and construction services to create a nearly 10-mile, 15-station double-tracked light-rail system through the city’s downtown. The route will also include a new bridge across Lady Bird Lake, and several miles of new pedestrian cycling paths.

Responses to the RFQ are due by July 3, after which ATP says qualified firms will be invited to participate in a comprehensive Request for Proposals (RFP) process evaluating team experience, approach and cost, which an ATP spokesperson said was currently estimated at approximately $3 billion. The final design and construction contract is scheduled for award in early 2026.

According to ATP, the selected design-build team “will help shape and build nearly every aspect of the system including the transitway, tracks, systems, stations, bridges, traffic signals, utilities, drainage structures and streetscape” through the planned 2033 start of passenger service.

ATP has already tapped AECOM to serve as delivery partner for the project, providing a variety of services that include program management, administration, controls, design and construction management and post-construction management during final design, construction and launch of service.

ATP notes that the use of progressive design build delivery will facilitate close collaboration with industry partners through innovative design solutions that balance technical requirements with Austin’s unique need, a design focused on efficient construction to minimize disruptions to other travel modes and integration of the latest construction costs into design development to ensure the project design aligns with the project budget.

“Austin Light Rail is a mega infrastructure project that will offer qualified businesses across Texas and beyond a competitive opportunity to provide the materials and services needed to deliver the project,” ATP CEO Greg Canally said in a statement. “This final design and construction contract adheres to ATP’s model to partner with the private sector to attract top talent to deliver a world-class light rail system for Austin.”

Funding for the project includes an estimated $2 billion in proceeds from a 2020 referendum that directs a portion to local property taxes toward design and construction costs. Last year, ATP began the process of qualifying the project for funding under the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants New Starts program.

The scope of the current light rail project, detailed in the draft environmental impact statement issued earlier this year, is approximately half of its original concept, due in large part to post-pandemic cost escalation. Elements such as a downtown tunnel and enhanced bus rapid service were gradually eliminated from the plan, resulting in the 9.8-mile all-surface light-rail route approved in 2023 by the Austin City Council. ATP asserts that the current plan provides flexibility for future extensions, including one to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and another to a transit hub on the city’s north side.

Over the past two years, ATP and the City have faced several lawsuits backed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton seeking to block design and construction on the project until voters are given an opportunity to weigh in on the downsized plan. A state appeals court dismissed those challenges last fall. Several proposed measures to overturn ATP’s funding mechanism introduced in the 2023 and 2025 sessions of the state legislature have also been unsuccessful.