Honolulu High Capacity Transit Corridor
HNTB Kiewit Design Build – Post Award

The Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor is the largest public works project ever undertaken in Hawaii and its opening, beginning in 2017, will be a transformative moment for the state. The rail system will provide a fast, reliable, and affordable alternative to driving for commuters and visitors. Current construction operations are providing 10,000 jobs each year, and, after the system is completed, development around rail stations will infuse the state’s economy with billions of dollars of investment.

SSFM is providing civil and structural engineering services for design and construction of a major segment of the High-Capacity system, and has played a key role in the project almost since its inception. We were awarded the first design contract in this complex undertaking, and helped shape design and coordination processes for the rest of the project.

The five-year long design schedule has required SSFM to coordinate many contractors, stakeholders, and specialized consultants—all of whom are on a different schedule and design phase at any given point in time. We also had to ensure the team functioned in accordance with design requirements that changed significantly over time. By involving the contractor in our design process, SSFM was able to produce a construction-friendly and economical design for the project.

An engineering and construction undertaking of this magnitude is fraught with many, and sometimes unprecedented, technical challenges. SSFM was up to the task. Design of one of the tallest mechanically stabilized earth retaining wall structures in Honolulu on a difficult site with less than optimal soil conditions was just one of the difficult technical solutions we have had to devise to help bring the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor to life.