Ottawa's LRT west extension delayed until late 2026

Construction workers on Ottawa's LRT project. The western extension is now due to open in late 2026, 17 months behind schedule. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa)

The western extension of Ottawa’s LRT system is delayed by 17 months and won’t be finished until late 2026, officials said Tuesday.

The news was part of an update to the city’s finance and economic development committee on the $4.6-billion Stage 2 LRT project, the largest in the city’s history that will extend rail east, west and south.

The southern extension on the Trillium Line is set to be handed over to the city in September 2023, about a year later than originally scheduled. The eastern extension is set for service in early 2025, only about a month later than expected.

But the western extension—which involves extending the track from Tunney’s Pasture station west to Moodie Drive and Algonquin College—is facing the biggest delays. That extension involves building a nearly three-kilometre-long cut-and-cover tunnel.

The city says the delays are due to supply chain and labour issues.

“Generally in Ontario right now we’re seeing a lot of projects in delay,” said Michael Morgan, the city’s director of rail construction. "We’re seeing a lot of pressure on the availability of craft to actually undertake the work.

“These are people who are doing rebar, pouring concrete, people who are building the stations. Because we are building a cut-and-cover through the west, that has a big impact on the timeline for the project,” he added.

There is also a shortage of concrete, rebar and waterproofing materials, he said.

Morgan also singled out the May 21 derecho that devastated large parts of the city and even the ‘Freedom Convoy’ occupation downtown as mitigating factors.

“There have been a number of impacts this year, strikes, the big storm had some impacts in terms of the availability of Hydro Ottawa,” he said. “Even things like the trucker convoy had impacts in terms of not being able to make changes to traffic signals because of the unavailability of police officers.”

“This was a difficult year.”

The city has already approved an extra $60 million for the project because much of the previous contingency fund had been used.

Morgan said it was possible that more money would be needed because claims tend to come in near the end of these types of large projects.