Evergreen Line contract goes to SNC-Lavalin consortium

A consortium of companies led by SNC-Lavalin has been awardeda $889-million contract to build Metro Vancouver's next rapid transit line.

Construction on the Evergreen Line, which will link the Tri-cities area with the MIllenniumLine at Lougheed Station, is expected to begin next month.

The line is expected to open in the summer of 2016, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure announced on Tuesday morning.

The consortium, EGRT Construction, includes three divisions of SNC-Lavalin, Graham Building Services, International Bridge Technologies Inc., Jacobs Associates Canada Corporation, Rizzani de Eccher Inc., S.E.L.I. Canada Inc.,and MMM Group Ltd.

The contract calls forthe construction of the elevated and at-grade guideways, a two-kilometre tunnel, seven stations, power substations, train operating systems and parking facilities, as well as a vehicle-storage and light maintenance facility.

The ministry says the final agreement, the project report and a fairness reviewer report will be made public this spring.

BothSNC-Lavalin and S.E.L.I Canada were involved in the construction of the Canada Line, which was completed in 2009.