First tracks laid as major Mississauga-Brampton transit project moves forward

The massive Mississauga-Brampton Hurontario light rail transit (LRT) project reached a significant milestone this week with the laying down of the first train tracks.

Project officials say the first tracks are being installed at what they call the “nerve centre” of the soon-to-be 18-kilometre rapid transit route–the Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility (OMSF) located just south of Hwy. 407 on the Mississauga-Brampton border.

That facility will serve as the hub of the LRT route, which will be known as the Hazel McCallion Line when it opens to passengers in fall 2024.

The huge operations and maintenance site will house a repair shop, a vehicle cleaning facility and material storage space, when completed. It will be able to accommodate 42 of the light rail vehicles at a time.

This week’s laying of track signals an important development as the project moves forward, officials say.

“Rapid, reliable and environmentally friendly light rail transit is that much closer to being realized from Mississauga to Brampton and all the connections in between,” said Devin McAndrew, superintendent with Mobilinx, constructor of the LRT. “Track installations are starting at OMSF, with crews moving out to Hurontario, then north to Steeles, and south to Port Credit and all the way up the line.”

The first section of track is laid at the Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility this week. (All photos: Metrolinx)

“Fast-forward a few more stages of track construction and this will eventually culminate in substantial completion throughout the corridor,” added Afzal Memon, senior project manager of rapid transit for Metrolinx, the provincial agency that’s overseeing the huge undertaking.

When completed, the LRT will take passengers from Port Credit GO station in the south all the way north into Brampton, with 19 stops along the way.

As the lone underground stop on the route, Port Credit GO saw a significant amount of prep work in 2021, and tunneling work continues there this year.

Officials say the first stages of guideway construction, the building of the track bed, are set to take place from the OMSF to Edwards Blvd., on Topflight Dr. and along Hurontario St. and just south of Hwy. 401 from Matheson Blvd. to Britannia Rd., from south to north.

In total, the project will have:

• 55,000 monoblock and twin block ties: ties used to support the rail
• 13,000 metric tonnes of rail ballast: what will one day form the track bed
• more than 47,000 square metres of guideway concrete to be poured

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced earlier this year that, when completed, the public transit route will take the name of Mississauga’s former longtime mayor, and be known as the Hazel McCallion Line.

Ford also voiced support for once again including a City Centre loop in the huge project.

The Hurontario LRT will link to GO stations at Port Credit and Cooksville, the Mississauga Transitway, Square One GO Bus Terminal, Brampton Gateway Terminal, and key MiWay and Brampton Transit routes. 

Metrolinx says the initiative is part of its long-term vision for an integrated, sustainable transit network connecting the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas. 

Other work on the Hurontario LRT expected to take place in 2022 includes:

• efforts to further protect the 100-year-old Mary Fix Creek in central Mississauga. Work crews will be upgrading the nearby landscape to preserve the creek and nearby communities, and doing work to reduce the potential for flooding
• existing bridges at Port Credit GO station are being replaced
• construction of the Hwy. 403 flyover will begin. This involves building a bridge or overpass that crosses over the 403. This will help improve traffic flow by separating the LRT from regular vehicle and bus traffic at one of Mississauga’s busiest interchanges. Will also allow LRT riders to access bus connections on Rathburn Rd.