NICTD Double Track Northwest, Environmental Due Diligence
The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) is planning a major capital improvement project to expand its commuter rail service, known as the South Shore Line. The West Lake Corridor Project is an approximately 8-mile southern extension of the South Shore Line between Hammond and Dyer, Indiana. The NICTD Double Track Northwest Indiana Project extends about 26.6 miles along the existing South Shore Line between Michigan City and Gary, Indiana. It will include constructing a second track and associated signal, power, bridge, and track infrastructure. Improvements will also include the existing five stations located within the corridor.
Under a very expedited schedule, DLZ has completed parcel-specific Phase I Environmental Site Assessments for over 400 parcels. These parcels were to be acquired as part of the proposed construction. This project entailed several challenges, including the following:
- Length of the corridors
- Numbers of parcels
- Long commercial
- The industrial history of the area
- Schedule and site access
Despite these challenges, DLZ completed the assessments providing corridor-modified Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, prepared for each segment. The assessments followed the ASTM E1527-13 and FTA SOP 19 with parcel-specific information for each parcel, or portion of it. As a result of the Corridor Due Diligence completed by DLZ, NICTD has been able to proceed with timely property acquisition having knowledge of environmental conditions involving many commercial and industrial properties within the proposed corridor.
