Link to 3C Final Report - The Ohio State University

The Ohio & Lake Erie Regional Rail - Ohio Hub Study
Technical Memorandum & Business Plan
2.3.2 Contingencies
Contingencies for project development, design, engineering and construction have been added to
the cost estimates. Contingencies were applied as a percentage of the base capital cost of each
infrastructure element. The contingency costs include:
• Construction contingency 15%
• Design contingency 0%
• Design engineering 7%
• Program Management 3%
• Construction management and inspection 4%
• Owner’s management – environmental, etc. 2%
• Insurance 0%
2.3.3 Placeholders
In addition to the cost categories, the capital costs include placeholders as conservative estimates
for large and/or complex engineering projects. At the low end, these include costs for new
railroad connections, interlockings and signal improvements; at the high end, these include new
highway bridges, river crossings, rail over rail grade separations, along with major capacity
improvements in the yards and terminal areas.
Placeholders provide lump sum budget approximations based on expert opinion rather than on an
engineering estimate. Placeholders are used where detailed engineering requirements are not
fully known. The following highlights some of the key placeholder costs that have been assumed
in this analysis. These costs will require special attention during the project development phase
and include:
• Connections for incorporating segments of the W&LE into the proposed Cleveland-
Pittsburgh alignment.
• Connection track for incorporating the Freedom Secondary into the proposed
Youngstown alignment.
• Costs for earthmoving and an Ohio Turnpike bridge for adding a third track to the
Alliance line.
• Capacity improvements on the Cleveland to Berea segment, including a new movable
drawbridge bridge over the Cuyahoga River in downtown Cleveland.
• On the Berea to Toledo line, new interlockings at the Huron and Vermillion river bridges;
a flyover at Vickers and a new Maumee River bridge
• On the Toledo to Detroit line via either CN or CSX alignments, Airline Yard capacity
enhancements, signal improvements and realignment of yard tracks.
• On the CN from Toledo to Detroit, mainline capacity improvements, River Rouge Yard
improvements and a new lift bridge over the River Rouge.
• Between Cleveland and Buffalo, track improvements and capacity enhancements through
the CSX Collinwood Yard, a flyover at Ashtabula and reconfiguration of tracks and
signals at Erie.
Section 2. Engineering Assessment and Capital Cost Estimates 2-13