Montreal's light-rail builder misses key target, but insists project remains on-schedule

The company behind Montreal's planned light-rail system insists the project is on track even though it missed Friday's deadline to award twomajor contracts.

CPDQ Infra, the Caisse de dptet placement du Qubec subsidiary responsible for the project, said it requires more time to study and evaluate the proposals put forward.

"These are complex offers that require in-depth analysis. And we take the time necessary to achieve them with all the rigor required for a project of this size," spokesperson Jean-Vincent Lacroix said in an email to Radio-Canada.

"As we have said in the past, we are still aiming to announce the results of the tendering process later this year, when this work is completed."

Five consortiums are vying for the two main contracts in the project, valued at a total of $5.5 billion.

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The67-kilometre light-rail transit system is scheduled to be completed by 2020.