$1B from province to extend LRT to airport, Trim Road

Theprovince is kicking in more than $1 billion in funding for phase two of Ottawa's light rail system,Ontario Premier KathleenWynneannounced this morning.

The funds will pay for half the cost ofcreatinga spurline to the Macdonald-Cartier International Airportin the city's south end, something people have pushed forbut the City of Ottawahad said it could not afford.

The provincialfundingwillalso allow foreastern tracks to be builtbeyond the planned terminus at Place d'Orlansand alongto Trim Road, where there is a park-and-ride lot and theAlphonse-Desjardinscampus of La Cit college.

The city still needs thefederal government to fundthe other half of those two new extensions, to the tune of $158 million, as well asa third of the cost of the $3billionplan for the second phase of light rail.

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The initial plan for phase two was toadd 30 kilometres of new track to the first phase of light rail system expected to open in 2018,in addition to19 new stations.The extensions announced this morning willadd 6.5 kilometres of trackand three extrastations at the EY Centre, the airport and Trim Road.

Construction on phase two is expected to start in 2018 and be ready for passengersin 2023.

The province previously contributed $600 million toward the $2.1 billionfirst phaseof thelight railproject, known as the Confederation Line:a 12.5-kilometre track that willrunfrom Tunney's Pasture to Blair Station.