Key Decisions Delayed for Alameda Corridor

Progress on decisions critical to the development of the Alameda Corridor stalled Wednesday, when the agency in charge of building the 20-mile rail expressway could not reach a final agreement with Burlington Northern Santa Fe, one of the railroads that will haul cargo on the new route.

The board of the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority was prepared to approve key measures today, clearing the way for construction of the long-awaited transportation link designed to improve the shipment of cargo from the fast-growing ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Officials said, however, that the authority had to postpone those decisions until the differences with Santa Fe are resolved and an operating agreement is finalized.

The accord, which has been in the works since 1994, establishes fees for shipping goods on the corridor and the conditions under which the authority, Union Pacific and Santa Fe will operate.

“The negotiations have been grueling. There are a lot of details, and the railroads are tough negotiators,” said Gill V. Hicks, the corridor authority’s general manager. “I know it has taken a long, long time. But I do think we are down to the final yard line.”

Hicks said that the corridor agency and Santa Fe are still debating the extent of the railroad’s responsibility for maintaining the corridor at Redondo Junction in the project’s northern end. Santa Fe and the agency also differ on how much track the corridor authority should provide for storage of railroad cars on the southern part of the route.

Hicks said the negotiations related to maintenance have been particularly complex because responsibilities may have to be divided among the Metrolink commuter service, Union Pacific, Santa Fe, the Alameda authority and the Metropolitan Transit Authority.

The Alameda authority entered into a conceptual agreement with Union Pacific and Santa Fe in 1994, but the specifics of the accord were subject to negotiation. The talks were supposed to be finished in April, but they have taken almost six months longer than anticipated.

Corridor officials say the railroad agreement is the linchpin for development of the project. Without it, revenue bonds cannot be sold to raise money for construction. Neither can the authority’s board approve major contracts with builders.

Had an agreement been in place by today, the corridor authority was prepared to approve a budget, increase the debt ceiling for the project from $800 million to $1.3 billion, and award a $712-million contract to a consortium headed by Tutor-Saliba Corp.

The contract is for construction of the project’s largest and costliest phase--a 10-mile-long concrete trench that will contain two tracks and an access road. Overpasses will cross the trench to alleviate traffic congestion along the route.

The board action would have culminated a week of approvals by governmental agencies with a stake in the corridor. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have approved the major items needed for construction. Those matters have yet to go before the Long Beach and Los Angeles city councils because of the lack of a railroad agreement.

“We were counting on a very significant meeting today,” Hicks said. “It’s discouraging there is another delay, but it shouldn’t be that much longer before everything falls into place.”

Hicks estimated that the remaining differences with Santa Fe should be resolved within a week. If so, the authority’s board will call a special meeting next week.