HONOLULU — Expansion of the Skyline rail system remains on schedule following the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s recent issuance of a notice to proceed to contractor Tutor Perini Corporation.

What You Need To Know

  • Tutor Perini was awarded the $1.66 billion contract in August to design and build the next section of the rail system
  • The work will include six rail stations and about three miles of elevated rail guideway beginning just east of the Middle Street Transit Center Station and ending at the new Civic Center Station, which will be located just east of the intersection of Halekauwila Street and South Street
  • According to HART, project design will begin immediately while the start of construction is estimated in the second half of 2025
  • Construction of this segment will be completed in 2030 and transferred to the Department of Transportation Services in 2031

Tutor Perini was awarded the $1.66 billion contract in August to design and build the next section of the rail system, which will include six rail stations and about three miles of elevated rail guideway beginning just east of the Middle Street Transit Center Station and ending at the new Civic Center Station, which will be located just east of the intersection of Halekauwila Street and South Street.

“We are excited to partner with Tutor Perini to design and build the next segment of the Honolulu rail transit project, which will eventually take Skyline through the Downtown area and into Kakaako,” said HART executive director and CEO Lori Kahikina. “With strong experience in large transportation infrastructure projects, I’m looking forward to collaborating with them on the design phase of this segment.”

According to HART, project design will begin immediately while the start of construction is estimated in the second half of 2025. Construction of this segment will be completed in 2030 and transferred to the Department of Transportation Services in 2031.

According to HART, the Los Angeles-based Tutor Perini Corporation “has established a strong reputation of executing large, complex projects on time and within budget while adhering to strict quality control measures.”

Tutor Perini has previously been contracted for major projects including the California High-Speed Rail; Harry Reid International Airport Terminal 3; the Purple Line Extension Project (Sections 1 and 2); Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center; BART San Francisco Airport Extension; and the Caesar’s Palace and Hotel and Casino’s Palace Tower.

However, the company has also drawn criticism for cost overruns and other problems.

Before merging with Perini Corporation in 2008, Tutor-Saliba Corporation drew criticism for allegedly low-balling to secure contracts, then incurring significant cost overruns. According to a review by the Bay Citizen, 11 major Bay Area projects completed by the construction company between 2000 and 2012 cost $765 million more than expected, 40% above the initial bids.

In 2018, Tutor-Perini was ordered by the San Francisco Mass Transit Authority to remove over three miles of rail it had installed for the Central Subway because the company used a cheaper, less durable material than had been agreed upon in its contract.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.