Silicon Valley’s long-awaited BART expansion could be delayed for another year and a half while officials consider cutting one of the project’s largest contracts to save costs.

VTA wants to look for a new contractor to bore the expansion’s five-mile tunnel, after being unable to reach an agreement with the current contractor, Kiewit Shea Traylor. The public transit agency is looking to cut up to $1.2 billion from the expansion’s total $12.75 billion cost, in order to receive a $5.1 billion grant from the Federal Transit Administration.

Tom Maguire, VTA chief megaprojects delivery officer, said looking for a new contractor would delay ground breaking on the tunnel by about 18 months, but could significantly help close the monetary gap.

“We are very serious about cost control,” Maguire sa

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