By Lynda Myer
The winner of Eglinton Crosstown West Extension (ECWE) Advance Tunnel project’s contract is West End Connectors team.
The determined budget for this contract is $603m (C$729.2m) and the company is going to fund this quantity from Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx.
As it is indicated in the fixed-price contract, the West End Connectors team will design, construct and finance the tunnels for the project.
While the West End Connectors’ developer and construction team comprises Aecon Infrastructure Management, Dragados Canada and Ghella Canada, TYPSA and EXP Services form the design team and the financial team comprises ACS Infrastructure Canada, Scotiabank Capital, Aecon Concessions, Ghella Investments and Partnerships.
The delivery of the project will take place via IO’s public-private partnership (P3) model and this model will be enabled transmission of suitable risks associated with the design, construction and financing of the project to the private sector.
Although the determined time for commencing construction process is current year, but the major tunnel boring works will begin next year and completion is estimated to be occurred in the second quarter of 2025.
The project works are consisting of digging almost a 6km tunnel to extend the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit by 9.2 km, design and construction of launch and extraction shafts and tunnels.
The contract also includes the construction of headwalls for emergency exit buildings and stations, delivery of tunnel boring machines, and the deployment of segmental precast concrete tunnel liners and other necessary activities.
Aecon Group president and CEO Jean-Louis Servranckx said: “This critical extension to Toronto’s transit system will improve mobility for the community, decrease traffic congestion and reduce emissions by providing a new, more sustainable transportation option.”
Approximately 80% of the West End Connectors’ stake belongs to both Aecon and Dragados Canada and the remaining 20% is owned by Ghella.
