LRT running 6 months late

Ottawa's light rail network will open at the end of November 2018, six months after the consortium building it was supposed to hand over the keys, Mayor Jim Watson said Tuesday.

The newtimeline came as transit boss John Manconi and other senior city staff gave an update on the massive infrastructure project to the finance and economic development committeeat City Hall.

• LRThandover date likely pushed back
• RTG given more time to finalize LRT handover

Rideau Transit Group (RTG) isthe consortium building the first phase of the Confederation Line, a 12.5-kilometre rail system that includes 13 stations, from Tunney's Pasture in the west to Blair Station in the east.

RTG was supposed to let the city know on Nov. 24 whether it would make its May deadline, a date specified in the project contract. City councillors only found out on Dec. 15 thatRTGdeemed thatoriginal delivery date deadline"risky."

At the time,the city gave RTGuntil Jan. 24, 2018 to say definitively what thedate will be.

When Jan. 24 came and went, RTG again asked formore time.

RTG will hand over the network on Nov. 2 and will cover any costs associated with the delay, Watson said. The system will open to the public after an independent safety inspection, he added.

Mayor defends light rail delay, lack of penalty for Rideau Transit Group

8 years ago

Duration 1:01

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson responds to questions from the CBC's Joanne Chianello about a six-month delay in the completion of the Confederation Line, and why the consortium building the line will not pay the city a penalty.

Financial implications

The delays are not withoutfinancial consequences for RTG, but the consortium will not be required to pay a penalty for missing the original May handover date.

As part of its initial agreement withRTG, the city has the right to impose a $1-million fine if the contractor does not meet agreed-to deadlines.

But instead of insisting RTGadhere to the May deadline,the city let the consortium set a new delivery date.

RTGwill incur the $1-million penalty if it misses the Nov. 2 deadline, said city manager SteveKanellakos.

Manconi added the city will not be paying the consortium something called "milestone" bonuses, and will withhold over $4 million in monthly payments to RTG until thehandover is complete, he said.

Startup date still unclear

Tuesday's FEDCO presentation did not include a specificdate when the public will be able to ride the new LRTsystem.

Manconi has said his department will need several weeks between handover and startup.

He said Tuesday thatthe city will be OK with a few "touch ups" after the handover date, but no major work will continue after Nov. 2. The construction schedule will be "carefully monitored by staff," Manconi added.

Failing to meet the original deadlinealso means above-ground construction, and all the traffic inconveniences that come with it, willbe extended by several more months.

Under the original agreement between RTG and the city, surface construction in the downtown area was supposed to wrap up by June 1, 2017. Missing that deadline did not come with a financial penalty, according to the LRT contract.

For live reporting on today's LRTreport, follow CBCcity affairs analyst Joanne Chianello as she tweets from the meeting.