Construction on Ottawa's north-south rail line hits another delay
Construction on Ottawa's north-south rail line has hit a new delay, with the handover of the Trillium Line to the city of Ottawa now not expected until at least early November.
Councillors received an update on construction for Stage 2 of the rail system in Ottawa on Wednesday, including the north-south line from Bayview Station to Riverside South, with a spur to the Ottawa International Airport.
Michael Morgan, the city's director of rail construction, says based on the current review of all inputs including an agreement on the training requirements, "the updated working timeline for the project handover is before the end of the year."
Morgan says, "There remains some risk and uncertainty in the completion" of the remaining work.
"Trackwork is largely complete; however, progress on signal testing is advancing slowly and requires additional time which is pushing the overall handover timeline to no sooner than early November," Morgan said.
"Staff also continue to monitor progress at stations noting that all stations still require occupancy permits and all stations require TSSA approvals for elevators."
In May, Morgan said the timeline was to aim for trial running to begin in the third week of September, with the handover planned for the first or second week of October.
The achievement of the handover milestone is contingent upon four things, according to Morgan.
- Successful completion of signal testing
- Successful completion of system wide commissioning including stations
- Transport Canada approvals
- Training completion
Morgan says subsequent to project handover, the city will make an assessment on the timing for the launch of public service.
The Trillium Line was originally scheduled to open in August 2022, and was then delayed until September 2023.
Following the completion of construction and the testing and commissioning program, TransitNEXT will conduct a three-week trial period to "validate that all aspects of the system and maintenance activities perform as expected," Morgan said.
"Following the successful completion of Trial Running as well as completion of all PA requirements, Substantial Completion will be achieved," Morgan writes.
"The system will then be available for OC Transpo to complete any remaining operational readiness activities before determining a final opening date to the public. The duration of this final process for validation of system readiness is still to be determined."
Confederation Line
Construction on the Confederation Line continues to slowly move along.
Morgan says the eastern extension to Trim Road is currently seven weeks behind schedule, with construction expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025.
The western extension from Tunney's Pasture Station to Moodie and Algonquin stations is up to 17 months behind schedule, with construction now expected to end in late 2026.
"Specific elements such as the Moodie Light Maintenance and Storage Facility (LMSF) and Lincoln Fields Station are progressing well," Morgan writes.
"Production rates and accumulated delays on the Cut and Cover Tunnel along the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway and Byron Linear Park are pushing the overall project completion date to late 2026."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Scottie Scheffler isn't the first pro golfer to be arrested during a tournament
Scottie Scheffler's arrest hours before his second-round tee time at the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, will go down as one of the most shocking in professional golf history. It certainly wasn't the first, though.
NEW What a wildfire survivor says she regrets not grabbing before leaving home
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
Canadian convicted of attacking Nancy Pelosi's husband with a hammer sentenced to 30 years
The man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.
World No. 1 golfer charged with police officer assault before PGA Championship second round
World number one golfer Scottie Scheffler was arrested and charged with the assault of a police officer in what he called a 'chaotic situation' before being released in time to start his second round at the PGA Championship on Friday.
Australia's richest woman seeks removal of her portrait from exhibition
Art is subjective. And while many artists long to share their work with the world, there's no guarantee that the audience will understand it, or even like it.
B.C. optometrist warns against trending eye colour change procedure
A medical procedure that can permanently change a person's eye colour may be trending on social media, but a B.C. optometrist is warning about the significant risks associated.
An airplane passenger was spotted in an overhead bin. This was the reaction
Airplane overhead compartments. Home to luggage of all shapes and sizes, the odd coat or two, several duty-free bags, a fair bit of dust and… passengers?