The Foothill Extension Construction Authority met Wednesday to host a pre-proposal conference.
The conference dealt with the procurement to advance design work and clear the project in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act., officials said in a press release.
The conference was held in Arcadia's City Council Chamber, where more than 80 attendees representing 70 local firms vying to be prime and subcontractors for future Extension work, said Habib Balian, chief executive officer of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority.
Advancing the project design to 30 percent completion will take 18 months, at a cost of $36 million and is slated to begin in spring of 2014, Balian said.
A contract could be awarded by April of 2014.
"Once this work is complete in 2016, the $950 million Extension to Montclair will be ready to break ground," Balian said.
