CEMEX, a global building materials company, announced its participation in the construction of Brightline. This new privately owned, operated and maintained intercity rail service connects Florida residents and tourists with state-of-the-art passenger trains between West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
Beginning in 2015 and through the project’s completion in 2018, CEMEX trucks delivered more than 45,000 cubic yards of ready-mix concrete for the West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale stations. This delivery supplied the stations, foundations for on-site parking, new apartments and businesses built to take advantage of their proximity to the stations.
“Brightline is a strong example of how CEMEX is constantly helping Build a Better Future for communities and residents across the U.S.,” says Ignacio Madridejos, President of CEMEX USA. “Residents in Florida will now be able to travel more quickly, safely and efficiently between major cities in the area. This new project is aimed at improving the lives of Floridians for many years to come, and we are very proud to have contributed to it.”
Due to their size and on-site tilt-up construction, CEMEX used high-strength mix designs for the Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach stations. The stations, designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP in association with Zyscovich Architects, are notable for their design and functionality. The Associated Builders and Contractors recognized the Fort Lauderdale station with its Excellence in Construction Award, and it received an Achievement Award from the Tilt-Up Concrete Association.
“The complexities and size of the Brightline project allowed us to demonstrate CEMEX’s best-in-class capabilities,” says Kirk Light, CEMEX Regional President—Florida Region. “As we do with all our projects, we leveraged our expansive, integrated operations network to deliver what our customers needed, when they needed it.”
Since the first trains rolled out of the station, the project has proven successful within the community with thousands of new passengers trying the service each month. The line, expected to be expanded to Orlando and Tampa, recently announced a strategic partnership with the Virgin Group and will rename itself Virgin Trains USA with a transition to new branding this year.
“We are looking forward to the next phase of Brightline,” says Light. “We have dozens of facilities in Florida ready to deliver CEMEX’s Superior Customer Experience when the project is ready to be expanded throughout the rest of the state.”
