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6/26/2026
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) board has issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for the Merced-to-Madera civil works design-built contract.
The Merced-Madera civil works contract covers surface grading, structures construction and roadway improvements that must be completed in advance of track and systems buildout. It is valued at about $2.4 billion, CHSRA officials said in a press release.
CHSRA's procurement process follows a collaborative design-build process that allows CHSRA and competing teams to work together during project development to refine design, reduce risk and improve cost and schedule certainty before a final contract is awarded. The solicitation will be issued this summer.
Two teams will be shortlisted by the end of 2026, with collaboration beginning shortly after. Construction on the Merced-Madera segment is slated to begin in late 2027 and go through 2030, CHSRA officials said.
Work continues daily on the high-speed rail project, with 171 miles under design and construction from Merced to Bakersfield. More than 80 miles of guideway are complete, along with 61 fully completed structures and 30 more under construction. Statewide, 463 miles of the proposed 494-mile San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim system are fully environmentally cleared and construction-ready.