USA: The first phase of Valley Metro’s Northwest Extension opened on March 19 with a day of free travel across the Phoenix light rail network.
The 5·2 km extension runs north along 19th Avenue from Montebello Avenue to Dunlap Avenue, with intermediate stops at Glendale Avenue and Northern Avenue. Work on the $327m project began in January 2013 and construction was carried out by a joint venture of Sundt and Stacy & Witbeck. Ridership on the extension is expected to be 5 000 passengers/day.
A second phase of the Northwest Extension would take the line to Metrocenter Mall by 2026. The local authorities envisage six further extensions of the light rail network, which would bring it to 106 route-km by 2034.
