Project profile: Ottawa’s LRT Stage 2

Ottawa’s LRT Stage 2

Stage 2 of the light rail transit (LRT) development in our nation’s capital is underway and is one of the most complex public transit projects in Canada . The multi-line project is an estimated $4 .66 billion expansion that is slated to provide access to the city’s LRT network within 5km for nearly 80% of Ottawa’s citizens .

The project consists of three main extensions; the Confederation Line East Extension, Confederation Line West Extension and the Trillium Line South Extension . Funded by all three levels of government, the contracts are being delivered under a Public Private Partnership (P3) model . After a threeyear procurement process, the City of Ottawa has contracted with two separate consortia .

The East-West Connectors (EWC), a joint venture between Peter Kiewit Sons and VINCI Group along with design partners Hatch and WSP Canada will be constructing both Confederation Line Extensions over the next half decade under a design-build-finance agreement . Stage 1 of the Confederation Line, built by the Rideau Transit Group (RTG), opened in late 2019 and consists of 12 .5 km of track . The line is completely grade separated and uses all-electric trains . The two extensions on either end of the line will stretch Ottawa’s LRT system another 27 km in total .

The East Extension begins at the Blair Station of Stage 1 and reaches 12 km east northeast along Highway 174 to Trim Road on the eastern edge of Ottawa’s suburbs, just south of the Ottawa River . It includes dual tracks, five new stations and, similar to Stage 1, will utilize an all-electric system . The extension begins with the line underneath Blair Road before coming above grade west of the new Montreal Road Station and continues in the median of Highway 174 . Three of the five new stations, Montreal Road, Jeanne d’Arc and Orleans Boulevard will be totally new, while Place d’Orleans Station and Trim Station, the train’s last two stops, currently serve as a Park & Ride for OC Transpo . Both will be converted to transfer stations . This Confederation Line East Extension is expected to be in service by November 2024 .

The Confederation Line West Extension, being the larger of the two expansions to the east-west line, is a 15 km extension that connects to the existing system at the Tunney’s Pasture Station before heading west, ending at Moodie Station near the intersection of Moodie Drive and Highway 417 . A little past halfway, between the Lincoln Fields and Queensview Stations the LRT line splits, with the offshoot heading south to end at the Baseline Station . Where the line ends at Moodie and Baseline, the West Transitway and Southwest Transitway begin . These connections allow passengers to commute efficiently from the Kanata and Barrhaven neighbourhoods respectively . Using much of the existing bus rapid transit corridors, the electric trains run both at and below grade . With the line proposed to be in service in May 2025, it will see the construction of three new stations and the conversion of 8 existing bus stations into LRT stations .

At the end of the west line, the expansion features the new Moodie Light Maintenance and Storage Facility (LMSF) . Simple maintenance, light repairs and cleaning, along with vehicle storage, are available at the LMSF, and it will offer the potential for future expandability .

The Stage 1 contractor Rideau Transit Group (RTG) has inked an agreement with the City of Ottawa to maintain the existing Confederation Line and both East and West Extensions and provide additional vehicles to operate on the lines . This agreement was an option in RTG’s existing Stage 1 contract so the line would see equipment continuity and cost efficiencies . This maintenance arrangement will be in place until 2048 .

SNC-Lavalin lead TransitNEXT is tasked with the Trillium Line Extension . Beginning at the Greenboro Station, the Trillium Line will run south to the

new Earl Armstrong/Bowesville Station and turn west, ending at a newly built Limebank Station . The line includes a total of 16 km of new track, access to the airport and the combination of new and converted stations . Along the existing LRT line, the Gladstone Station will be added just north of Highway 417 and the Walkley Station will be added where the line intersects Walkley Road . Additionally, all five existing platforms are slated to be extended as part of the work to the rail system . Four new stations are to be built along the long run of the line and the 4 km airport link will feature two new stations . The rail follows much of the Osgoode Pathway, a bike path, and travels through bush and fields but does become much more complicated as it crosses transit ways, Via Rail lines, and a body of water . Ottawa’s Trillium Line Extension will continue to run diesel trains and is expected to be in service in August 2022 .

Several considerations have been made to accommodate Ottawa’s long-term planning around the Trillium line including provisions for future conversion to electric trains, multiple pedestrian bridges, and to allow the Airport Parkway and Lester Road to be widened . Further, the Walkley Maintenance and Storage Facility will be built just north of the Greenboro Station, to keep the trains running .

TransitNEXT will be responsible for maintaining the existing and extended Trillium lines for 27 years after completion . Much of the work along the existing line was not originally scheduled to happen immediately, but the city and TransitNEXT agreed to perform upgrades now to deliver a better product to the riders and reduce long-term maintenance costs .

Together, these three extensions are the largest infrastructure project in Ottawa’s history, more than doubling the cost of the previous Stage 1 . The project is expected to create more than 27,000 person years of employment and provide an estimated $5 .6 billion economic impact . It will increase the O-Train’s capabilities to carry up to 24,000 passengers per hour in each direction . Construction of all three extensions began in 2019 and the staged turnover dates will see the first trains in service in about two years .

The improvements being made to Ottawa’s transit system – like expandability provisions, road congestion relief, future conversion to all-electric trains, and access to Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport including direct terminal access – promise to provide cleaner air for Ottawa’s residents and significantly improve their commutes . A combined 25 million person hours will be saved by car and transit users by 2048 . With the recently completed Stage 1 experiencing many issues and growing criticism, the city and its construction partners have a significant workload ahead of them through the next several years to deliver the updated O-Train network on time and make good on the promises made to their stakeholders as they all look to Stage 3 and beyond .

Sources

• www.ottawa.ca/en/planningdevelopment-and-construction/majorprojects/stage-2-light-rail-transitproject • www.ottawacitizen.com/news/localnews/construction-of-lrt-phase-2leaving-its-mark-on-the-city • www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ light-rail-stage-two-stationsoverview-1.5032672 • www.railway-technology.com/projects/ ottawa-light-rail-transit-lrt-stage-2ontario • www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ local-news/snc-lavalins-trillium-lineexpansion-on-time-so-far-but-traindelivery-in-2021-will-be-real-indicator • www.glengower.ca/wp-content/ uploads/2019/02/Stage-2-LRT_

Contract-Award_Key-Facts_Feb2019_

EN.pdf

About the author

Carl Pedersen, B . Tech (CM), PQS, GSC is an Estimator for Bird Construction in Manitoba . With a background in handson construction work through a broad range of residential and ICI experience, he now has a primary focus on design-build industrial and light industrial project planning, development and cost management . Carl has also served in various roles on the CIQS Prairies & NWT Chapter including Vice President, Secretary and Winnipeg Chapter Representative . Carl is also an Assistant to Editor for the Construction Economist .