Ottawa gives LRT bidders more time

The companies looking to build the next stage of LRT expansion in Ottawa are getting more time to submit their bids.

The city was planning to announce a winning bidder sometime between April and Junethis year, but will now award the contract sometime between October and December.

The changewas announced in a memo to councillors from Chris Swail, the city's director of O-Train planning, who insisted it wouldn't change the rest of the schedule.

"This updated schedule will not affect the current implementation schedule, which will still see construction commencing in 2019, as has been previously shared with council," the memoread.

Benefits to delay

Swail also told councillors the extension can work to the city's interestby giving proponents more time to refine their cost estimates and better understand the project.

The next stage of work is built into two separate projects:one to extend the Confederation Line to the east and west, and another to extend the Trillium Line to the south.

The city shortlisted three consortiums to bid on each project.

For the Confederation Line:

• Confederation Transit Group.
• East West Connectors.
• Confederation Line 2 Partners.

For the Trillium Line:

• Trillium Link.
• Trillium Extension.
• TransitNEXT.

Allthe firms are made up ofmultiple construction companies, architects and other subcontractors.

According to the city's construction timelines, the Trillium Line extension is set to open in 2021, the east extension of the Confederation Line in 2022, and the west extension in 2023.