Tight space constraints along a 4.3-mile light-rail expansion for the Sacramento Regional Transit District, or Sacramento RT, required engineers to modify plans and adopt new rail-damping technology to reduce noise in residential areas.

And crews with joint-venture contractor Balfour Beatty and Teichart must meet a strict time line to complete the work. Planned for more than a decade and delayed by funding challenges, the $270-million double-track extension of Sacramento RT's Blue Line to Cosumnes River College must be completed by September or risk losing federal funds.