Major light-rail transit route in Mississauga will soon have someone to build it

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Published October 11, 2024 at 2:46 pm

ECWE LRT line in Mississauga and Toronto.
Rendering of what the Renforth Station in Mississauga could look like when the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension LRT route is completed. (Image: Metrolinx)

Project leaders are one step closer to deciding who will build the tracks and stations for a new light-rail transit line planned for east Mississauga and Toronto.

The search for a construction team to design and build the seven new stations as part of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension has been narrowed down to three bidders, Metrolinx officials said in a project update.

Metrolinx is the provincial agency overseeing construction of the 9.2-kilometre above ground/underground LRT route that will take the Eglinton Crosstown LRT in Toronto farther west and “bring much-needed rapid transit to Etobicoke and Mississauga,” project leaders said earlier.

When completed in roughly seven years, it will link east Mississauga and likely Pearson Airport as well with parts of west Toronto. With project completion anticipated by 2030-31, the new route will bring the Eglinton Crosstown LRT line from Scarborough in east Toronto west to Renforth Drive in east Mississauga.

LRT line will likely extend to Pearson Airport

A proposal to extend the ECWE an additional 4.7 kilometres from Renforth Drive to Pearson Airport is also being strongly considered.

Metrolinx said in its recent project update the three remaining bidders — Integrated Transit Partners, Trillium Rail Partners and WestEx Transit Solutions — are vying for the ECWE Stations, Rail and Systems contract.

“The package of work includes design and construction of all seven new stations, fitting the tunnels and 1.5-kilometre elevated guideway with track and signals, and installing and commissioning communications, ventilation and other support systems for the new line,” officials with the provincial transit agency said.

The massive contract also includes “utility work and road modifications along Eglinton Avenue West to accommodate construction and changes at Mount Dennis Station that will help connect the extension to future Eglinton Crosstown LRT service.”

After proposals from the trio of bidders are evaluated, Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario will select a partner to work with over the project’s 18-month development phase to “further refine design, costs and project schedules,” officials continued. “Metrolinx will then have the option to sign a final agreement with the proponent.”

In addition to the Renforth Station in east Mississauga, six other stations will be built in Toronto at Martin Grove, Kipling-Eglinton, Islington-Eglinton, Royal York-Eglinton, Scarlett and Jane-Eglinton locations.

Map shows outline of the planned Renforth Station in east Mississauga. (Image: Metrolinx)

In May, the second of two massive tunnel-boring machines tasked since 2022 to dig out the underground portion of the ECWE completed its job to mark a milestone in the major public transit project.

Having set out on the journey from its launch shaft in Mississauga to begin the daily digging job in April 2022, the TBM dubbed Renny emerged from the fully-dug tunnel on May 22 in west Toronto to move the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension LRT initiative one step closer to completion.

Renny’s subterranean partner, Rexy — the two were named as a nod to areas in Mississauga and Toronto — completed its earth-moving trip on April 26. Though it was launched into action some three months after Renny in late July/early August of 2022, Rexy was first to complete the task.

Officials said earlier the TBMs, built in Germany and brought to Canada in early 2022 before going into the ground a few months later, each travelled 6.3 kilometres in finishing their underground work.

When finished, the ECWE will operate underground from Renforth Drive to just west of Scarlett Road in Toronto, where it will then transition to a 1.5-km elevated section that runs east of Jane Street before heading underground again and connecting to the future Mount Dennis Station.

The new LRT line is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by some 39,000 tonnes each year, project leaders say.

 

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