Mesa’s light rail extension from Mesa Drive to Gilbert Road will cost about $21.4 million more than originally budgeted.
To make up the difference, the city must increase its 5.7 percent matching contribution to $1.3 million. In addition, about $22 million from road improvement projects will be re-directed to the light rail.
Mesa City Council will decide whether to approve the expenditure at its regular meeting Monday.
“Construction costs have gone up and there’s a lot of major projects and building happening around the Valley,” said Transit Services Director Jodi Sorrell.
In addition, a report to city council noted a lawsuit delayed the project for almost two years. Staff added retention basins to the project after heavy rain around the same time.
The project’s maximum price, as of the end of 2016, is $186 million. Thus, the city’s matching contribution increased to $10.6 million.
To make up the rest of the funds, staff reviewed projects planned to be funded in a regional road improvement program through the Maricopa Association of Governments.
Five projects were eliminated “due to low traffic volume and a low number of vehicle crashes.” These include intersections at Lindsay Road and Brown Road and four intersections on McKellips Road.
“Probably the biggest factor is the Red Mountain Freeway has opened and that has diverted a lot of traffic off of some of the arterials that run parallel,” Sorrell said.
Construction on the extension started in October and is scheduled to be complete in 2019.
