Jared Gazda takes a moment to setup his surveying equipment at the corner of 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis. The information he gathers will aid in station construction, including ADA compliance and drainage.
Before the first shovel breaks ground, there’s a lot of work that goes into any new METRO Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line.
From planning through final engineering, each step ensures that the line is built to specification. Beginning this month, the METRO D Line is entering the engineering phase. During this phase, stations and other improvements will be designed and translated into detailed construction plans.
As a first step in designing D Line stations, Metro Transit has contracted with several firms to assist with field survey. Starting on January 7, crews from Stonebrooke Engineering began surveying planned METRO D Line station locations.
During this phase, surveyors gather information at the ground level, to create accurate measurements and learn more about the existing space and utilities below the ground at future D Line stops to help designers and construction crews avoid foreseeable problems before construction.
Over the next few weeks you will see trucks and members of our project team in the area conducting field surveys and making field observations and measurements to help engineer and design the project.
If you see a surveyor on the job, thank them for their hard work to help bring fast, frequent service to your corridor. If you have questions about the D Line or survey activities, contact Cody Olson, Community Outreach Coordinator at cody.olson@metrotransit.org or 612-349-7390.
The D Line is currently set to begin construction as early as mid-2020, pending full funding for the project. The D Line will substantially replace Route 5, the highest-ridership bus route in the state of Minnesota. Customers take about 16,000 daily rides on Route 5 between Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis, Richfield, and Bloomington.
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