The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation on Aug. 15 awarded a $1.66 billion contract to Tutor Perini Corp. for the design and construction of the next phase of the Honolulu rail transit project.

Known as the City Center Guideway and Stations, this phase of the project includes the design and construction of six rail stations and approximately three miles of elevated rail guideway, beginning just east of the Middle Street Transit Center Station and ending at the still-to-be-built Civic Center Station, near the intersection of Halekauwila Street and South Street.

HART Executive Director and CEO Lori Kahikina called the contract “another huge milestone” for the project.

“This is the largest single contract of the entire project and sets the course for completing the project through downtown Honolulu,” she said in a statement announcing the contract.

Design work will commence immediately following contract execution, which was expected in mid-September. Construction is anticipated to begin in the second half of 2025, with a wrap date target of 2030.

Los Angeles-based Tutor Perini has previous experience managing large-scale construction projects on time and within budget.

“We are proud and excited to be a part of this transformational project in Honolulu,” Ronald N. Tutor, Tutor Perini chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “We look forward to partnering with HART to see this project through to its successful conclusion.”

This phase of the rail project is critical, with its successful progress unlocking another $250 million in federal funding through an amended Full Funding Grant Agreement signed in February. To date, HART has received approximately $931 million of the $1.55 billion initially granted under the FFGA.

HART’s rail system, also known as Skyline, is the first fully automated, driverless light metro system in the United States and represents the largest public infrastructure project in Hawai‘i history.