Contract for SMART’s Larkspur section goes in part to Alameda firm.

On Wednesday, the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) district’s board of directors awarded the $36.3 million design and construction project for the 2.2-mile Larkspur extension to Stacy and Witbeck/Herzog, a Bay Area-based joint venture.

Stacy and Witbeck is based in Alameda. Herzog Contracting Corp. is based in Missouri.

The contract includes construction of the extension, a center-platform station, two new bridges, rebuilding a trestle and interim improvements to the Bettini Transit Center in downtown San Rafael. Construction on the extension will begin this summer and is expected to be completed in early 2019.

“This is an important milestone for us,” said SMART Board Chairwoman Debora Fudge. “This extension provides a link to the Larkspur Ferry and will connect SMART passengers with employment centers, entertainment, recreation and all the benefits San Francisco has to offer. It will also connect visitors and others coming from San Francisco with the North Bay, showcasing our local shops, employers, wineries, restaurants and more.”

During the construction project for the Larkspur Extension, SMART and Golden Gate Transit will provide free bus service from the San Rafael SMART station to the Larkspur Ferry terminal.

SMART’s initial passenger train service covers 43 miles, from northern Santa Rosa near the Sonoma County Airport to downtown San Rafael, with 10 stations in key locations including Rohnert Park, Cotati, Petaluma, Novato and Marin Civic Center. SMART plans to offer the public free introductory Preview Rides, while waiting for final approval from the Federal Railroad Administration to begin full passenger service, perhaps later this summer.

A full launch date has been delayed several times and is not set.

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