As of 2015, when Ontario authorities launched the – “Moving Ontario Forward” infrastructure development plan, with a strategy worth USD 31.5 billion, several projects have been initiated with the purpose of developing the rail transport network, including urban transport. Hurontario LRT is one of the recently announced projects that would be completed by 2022.
The projects to be developed focus, apart from economic development and the establishment of a sustainable transport system, on dealing with the increasing number of people living in Ontario Province by around 40% until 2041, which will put pressure on the entire transport system.
One of the projects included in the Moving Ontario Forward plan is the development of Hurontario light rail which includes the construction of a 20-km line to provide connection between Mississauga and Brampton, along Hurontario Corridor. The line will be served by 22 stop points connected to Milton’s GO Transit network, to Lakeshore West railways, to Mississauga MiWay, Brampton Züm, and to Mississauga bus network. In fact, Hurontario LRT will be an integrated component of Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) transport network. The project is estimated at USD 1.4 billion, financed by Province of Ontario and implemented by Metrolinx agency. The construction is expected to be initiated in 2018 and finalised in 2022.
Hurontario LRT project will double the capacity of the corridor and will significantly improve travel time. Also, it will determine the transformation of Hurontario Street in an area connected to the other transport systems stimulating development. In order to develop the project, in October, Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx launched the requests for qualification (RFQ) for the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance of the system. The announcement of the RFQ is the first step to prequalify the teams with relevant experience and financial capacity to complete the project.
The consortia or the qualified companies will be invited to meet the requests for proposals in the first part of the next year. This is the first project of IO developed through a DBFOM (Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain) contract. “We are excited to put our proven expertise in modern project delivery to work on the Hurontario LRT project. Our AFP (Alternative Financing and Procurement) approach protects the taxpayer from many of the traditional, costly risks to major projects by partnering in the right way with the private sector,” said Ehren Cory, divisional president, Project Delivery, Infrastructure Ontario.
RFQ includes the development of 20 km of line between Port Credit GO Station (Mississauga) to Gateway Terminal at Steeles Avenue in Brampton, of the 22 stations, the construction of a depot for maintenance of the rolling stock fleet in the “Highway 407” point and the acquisition of the vehicles that will run on this line.
by Pamela Luica
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