Ames Construction Advances Marine Way Rail Undercrossing
Ames Construction crews in California are performing a unique project to improve connectivity and safety for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists near the Great Park, a massive public space in Irvine. The project will build a new rail undercrossing at Marine Way, where there is currently no direct rail crossing or road access into the park.
Since late 2025, crews have been building temporary slabs and massive thrust blocks ahead of the construction of two massive concrete box structures:
• A double box culvert 28 feet wide by 15 feet tall by 153 feet long for the realignment of the Borrego Channel.
• A box structure 112 feet wide by 30 feet tall by 100 feet long for the Marine Way undercrossing.
“The team is doing a great job working together with a singular focus to deliver the project on time and with minimal impacts to the surrounding development,” says Senior Project Manager Tony Spinetti.
After each box is constructed, the Ames team will push them into place using hydraulic jacks, which will require the regional commuter rail system to be shut down.
Ames targeted two weekends in the fall of 2026 for this work to minimize jacking equipment mobilization and to be able to quickly apply the experience of the smaller box push to the larger box push. However, the project owner has requested that the first box push be accelerated to May 2026 to facilitate the adjoining culvert structure tie-in schedule.
“We are working to essentially cut the construction time in half to achieve their request,” Tony says. “This work is on track contingent on favorable weather the rest of the season.”
Learn more from the City of Irvine.
