Extending Dallas transit: Connecting Rowlett and Garland by rail

Extending the Blue Line to Rowlett meant building along the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) railroad corridor, a route still in active use by Dallas Garland Northeastern (DGNO) freight rail service. DART needed a construction management partner who could keep the design-build contract on track while coordinating closely with an active freight operator along a shared corridor, protecting both the safety of ongoing freight operations and the project schedule.

Delivering the extension also meant managing construction across every phase of a design-build delivery model, from early coordination through final commissioning, while maintaining the reliability the DART system's existing riders had come to expect.

We served as a key member of the TRACK3 general engineering consulting team (GEC III), providing construction management services for DART's Light Rail Build-Out Phase 2b. Serving as the lead construction manager, we provided construction support and oversight across all phases of the design-build contract.

Our team coordinated closely with DGNO to manage construction activity alongside active freight rail operations along the shared MKT corridor, helping keep both freight service and construction progress moving safely and on schedule.

The Blue Line extension to Rowlett opened in December 2012, extending DART's light rail system by 4.5 miles and permanently connecting the downtowns of Rowlett and Garland by rail. The extension gave residents of both cities direct light rail access to the greater Dallas region, expanding transit options along a corridor previously served only by freight rail.