Atlanta Streetcar grows more costly

The MARTA Board of Directors on Monday authorized spending nearly an extra $7 million to build the Atlanta Streetcar.

The original contract with URS Energy and Construction, Inc.was $52.2 million based on the preliminary design. The revised contract of $59 million covers changes in the project’s design and also provides for a contingency fund to cover more unforeseen costs. The increases costs of the new contract will be paid from a similar contingency fund.

The changes include new streetscapes, bicycle lanes and related amenities along the 2.7 mile transit loop, MARTA said. The route, which ties into the Peachtree Center rail station, will link Centennial Olympic Park the World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia World Congress Center, the new College Football Hall of Fame, the future National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic site.