MARTA reports $30.3 million ceiling sought for Summerhill BRT after unmarked underground finds; phases service ahead of World Cup

MARTA staff told the Atlanta City Council Transportation Committee that unrecorded, century-old underground utilities and other unforeseen subsurface conditions on the Summerhill Rapid A bus-rapid-transit project have increased costs and schedule risk, prompting the agency to seek a $30,300,000 contract ceiling to negotiate change orders and keep construction moving.

"The amount and complexity of these issues uncovered is exceeding our estimates," Collie Greenwood, chief executive officer and general manager of MARTA, told the committee during a quarterly update. Greenwood described shallow utility lines — in some spots only inches below the road surface — a previously undocumented parking garage under a sidewalk and abandoned trolley tracks as the primary complications.

MARTA said its board has approved, contingent on Project Governance Committee (PGC) approval, increasing the contract ceiling to allow ongoing negotiations with contractors. The agency also announced a phased service rollout so that a portion of the Rapid A line — from Summerhill northbound through the South Downtown Loop — could enter revenue service in April 2026 in time for the FIFA World Cup. A later segment that faces greater utility impacts is targeted for September 2026.

Why it matters: The Summerhill BRT is a major MooreMARTA project; rising costs and schedule impacts on one large project can affect sequencing and budgets across the citywide program. MARTA officials said they are coordinating with Atlanta Gas Light, Georgia Power and the Department of Watershed Management and plan block-by-block detours and concurrent-phase construction to minimize disruptions.

Details: Greenwood said the shallow utilities include residential service lines, water mains and fiber that were not on historical drawings and that the Department of Watershed Management performed design work on water-line replacements that MARTA must now implement during construction. MARTA estimated the shallow-utility and related change work could take about seven months once started.

Committee action and next steps: The agency presented a project modification request to its PGC; the MARTA board approved moving the request forward contingent on PGC approval. MARTA said it will continue negotiating change orders with contractors and proceed with phased service readiness for the April 2026 target where feasible.

Reporting note: Committee members asked about funding and whether other MooreMARTA projects could be affected; MARTA said it is pursuing negotiated savings, grant funding where applicable, contingency and value engineering but did not show a final funding source in committee.