Government of Ontario awards first major work package for Hamilton LRT project
A contract has been awarded by the government of Ontario for the first major package of civil and utility work for the Hamilton Light Rail Transit (LRT) project to Hamilton Transit Alliance, led by Aecon Infrastructure Inc. The government of Ontario says the 14‑kilometer (8.7-mile), 17 stop LRT will strengthen the local economy by creating approximately 6,000 jobs annually during construction and up to 1,000 permanent jobs to support operations and maintenance when the project is complete.
“Our government is making historic investments in public transit to fight gridlock and keep people moving,” said Ontario Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria. “Today’s milestone brings us one step closer to delivering the Hamilton LRT, a project that will support 50,000 daily riders, connecting more people to jobs and housing and giving families and workers more choice and better access to fast, affordable public transit.”
The Hamilton LRT civil and utilities contract includes preparatory work along the LRT route. The infrastructure improvements include:
- 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) of sewer replacement and separation.
- 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) of watermain replacement.
- 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) of road reconstruction.
- 28 kilometers (17.4 miles) of replaced and upgraded sidewalks.
- 62 upgraded and replaced traffic signals
“Aecon’s experience building some of the most transformative transit projects of this generation, including three modern LRTs in Ontario, will be of great value to this critical project for Hamilton,” said Aecon Group Inc. President and CEO Jean-Louis Servranckx. “We are harnessing the collective strengths of our civil and utilities teams to self-perform this vital project. The collaborative development phase provides benefits to all stakeholders, and we look forward to working with our client to advance this project that will improve mobility for growing communities.”
The contract will also advance design work to replace the bridge over Highway 403, build a new LRT underpass beneath the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Hamilton Subdivision near Gage Avenue and improve the Queenston Road bridge over the Red Hill Valley Parkway.
Funding for this project comes courtesy of the province and federal government of Canada, who are investing up to C$3.4 billion (US$2.5 billion) to support the development and construction of the Hamilton LRT. This investment comes as part of a C$70 billion (US$51.6 billion) investment the government of Ontario is making in transit expansions across the province.
"With this contract award, we are setting the stage for major construction on the Hamilton LRT—which is incredible news for the city of Hamilton,” said Metrolinx CEO Michael Lindsay. “This contract includes new and upgraded bridges and the upgrading of roads, utilities, and public spaces. This project will transform how people travel across downtown Hamilton creating connections to HSR and GO Transit along the 14-kilometer (8.7-mile) route. I’m encouraged by the collaboration across all levels of government, building momentum for this project."
Once complete, the government says that the Hamilton LRT will put thousands of jobs within walking distance of fast, reliable transit, with stops at McMaster University, Hamilton Stadium, Eastgate Square, Ottawa Street, Gage Park, downtown Hamilton and other key destinations. The LRT will also connect riders to Hamilton Street Railway and GO Transit services across the city.