Austin Light Rail

The Austin Transit Partnership is reshaping how Austin moves with a new light rail system and expanded transit choices. This 9.8‑mile, all‑electric light rail system connects North Austin, downtown, South Congress, and East Riverside, bringing fast, frequent transit to Austin’s most active corridors. 

Delivered through a Progressive Design‑Build model, we are leading the design and construction of this project across complex urban environments. The project features in‑street running segments, a 1.5‑mile elevated guideway over Lady Bird Lake, and 15 stations serving key destinations such as the University of Texas, the Texas State Capitol, Austin City Lights Live, the Austin Convention Center (home of SXSW), and South Congress.  

Need 

This project addresses the need for connecting and improving access to the city’s most visited destinations. SW will deliver a first-of-its-kind mobility option for Austin that is people-centered, performance-based and highly accessible, while fostering community and optimizing user-experience.  

The new bridge over Lady Bird Lake will provide a quicker, more reliable route for crossing during busy travel times and will feature a dedicated path for pedestrians and cyclists, reducing vehicle traffic and supporting more sustainable transportation options. 

Work 

SW will deliver the Austin Light Rail through design and construction of the following key elements: 

• A primarily at-grade, embedded, street-running double track LRT network with three ends-of-line 
• A 1.5-mile multimodal bridge crossing Lady Bird Lake, in addition to the refurbishment of existing bridges and culverts 
• 15 fully accessible stations serving major destinations, including center or side loading LRT station platforms and at least one elevated station    
• Streetscape elements including roadway, active transportation facilities, trees and functional landscaping 
• Utility adjustments and protection to support long‑term system reliability

Impact 

The Austin Light Rail will increase accessibility to the city’s core locations not only with its own dedicated railway, but with additional multimodal connectivity, decreasing travel times, reducing vehicle emissions, all while keeping Austin livable for the community we are building in.  

Beyond rail infrastructure, the Austin Light Rail aims to connect riders, pedestrians, and cyclists to the outdoors through enhanced streetscapes and functional landscaping. Designed to enhance multimodal connectivity and support future expansion, Austin Light Rail sets a new standard for high‑frequency urban transit in Austin. 

Collaboration 

We are the managing joint venture parter of the Austin Rail Constructors (ARC) team with Sundt Construction Company. Our team is supported by Lead Designer team Mott MacDonald/Stantec, a joint venture, with major design subconsultants such as lead architect Grimshaw, Kimley-Horn, WSP, and CobbFendley. Our Lead Systems Contractor is Modern Railway Systems. Other key subcontractors include Dovetail Consulting, Jay Reese Contracting and QN Management Solutions, and a host of local and national experts.   Seventy percent of the team partners are based in the Austin area.