The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority is hiring a construction manager to administer the long-delayed $2.3 billion Green Line Extension project, according to an MBTA press release.   

Chicago-based construction manager, John Dalton, will oversee the 4.7-mile extension of the Green Line into Medford and Somerville.

In May, state transit officials voted to move forward with a scaled-down version of the project, reviving a project that had stalled when it ballooned $1 billion over budget. At the same time, the Federal Transit Administration required the MBTA to hire a management team as part of its conditions to provide $1 billion in federal funding. 

Dalton, who has experience working on large-scale transit projects from Chicago to Dubai, has been a vice president at ARCADIS in Chicago for the last six years, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was also a program manager at Parsons Group International Limited from 2007 to 2010. Before that, he was general manager for capital construction at the Chicago Transit Authority for almost five years, according to his LinkedIn page. His LinkedIn profile also says he is a former U.S. Navy lieutenant commander.

Dalton will report to MBTA Acting General Manager Brian Shortsleeve, who said Dalton has signed a term sheet but the contract has not been finalized. 

“John’s experience with large and complex public transit projects is exactly what is needed to drive the Green Line Extension forward,” Shortsleeve said in a statement. “He brings a wealth of technical knowledge as well as familiarity with federal funding processes and stakeholder engagement.”

The project’s delivery method was also switched to design-build back in May and the MBTA is currently seeking bids to fill the design-build team ahead of a Nov. 16 forum to discuss the project’s scope.  

The project includes seven new stations, including a relocated Lechmere Station in Cambridge, an associated electrical and signal systems and a new vehicle storage and maintenance facility.

In the statement, Massachusetts Congressman Michael Capuano said, “I am pleased that the MBTA has taken this important step in moving the Green Line Extension project to a successful conclusion. Clearly, hiring Mr. Dalton indicates the MBTA is committed to the project. Mr. Dalton has experience overseeing large transit projects with multiple moving parts, which will be essential in finishing the Green Line Extension. I look forward to working with him.”