The Houston Rapid Transit Joint Venture team recently received a notice to proceed valued at approximately $121 million from the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County for early portions of the expansion of the existing light rail transit system in Houston.

HRT was awarded the $1.28-billion design-build contract earlier this year. Led by Houston-based Parsons Transportation Group Inc., HRT includes Granite Construction Co. of Lewisville, Kiewit Texas Construction LP of Fort Worth and Stacy and Witbeck Inc. of Alameda, Calif. The team is responsible for expanding the existing light-rail-transit system in four new corridors totaling an additional 20 mi of light-rail transit.

The work includes 32 stations, storage and inspection facilities and a major renovation to the existing operations center. Three of the new corridors will be located in and adjacent to downtown Houston and one will be located in the Galleria area.