Construction of a three-kilometre light rail tunnel west of Ottawa’s downtown officially began on September 25.

Mayor Jim Watson was joined by various officials from the provincial and federal governments, including Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna to break ground on a key component of the city’s Stage 2 light rail transit project.

"The start of tunneling on the next phase of Ottawa's LRT shows that, in the face of adversity, we're continuing to build up important public transit that people rely on every day,” said McKenna. “Seventy-seven percent of Ottawans will live within five kilometres of the LRT, and Stage 2 will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 110,000 tonnes and help get cars off the roads. Canada's infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country and builds stronger communities."

The Parkway tunnel extends from Dominion Station east of the city’s downtown core, under the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway and Byron Linear Park, before emerging just north of Lincoln Fields Station. It will be built using the cut-and-cover method.

East-West Connectors (EWC), the contractor building the Stage 2 east and west O-Train extensions, will build permanent tunnel infrastructure prior to backfilling to surface level. Work will be carried out in stages to minimize impacts on pedestrians, cyclists, and local traffic. When construction is complete, Byron Linear Park will be enhanced to include more trees, less pavement, more public art, and additional plaza space for local events.

The tunnel is the larger of two along the 15-kilometre Stage 2 West Extension line. The second will be the 270 metre Connaught tunnel that will link Lincoln Fields Station with Queensview Station, travelling underneath Connaught Avenue.

The Stage 2 West Extension will add 11 new stations to extend O-Train Line 1, the Confederation Line, from Tunney’s Pasture to Lincoln Fields where it will split, travelling south to Baseline Station and west to Moodie Drive. There will also be a light maintenance and storage facility located at Moodie Drive. The project is expected to be complete in 2025.

The west extension is one of three projects that make up Stage 2 LRT. Line 1 is also being extended east from Blair Station to Trim Road in Orléans and O-Train Line 2, the Trillium Line, is being extended south from Greenboro Station to Limebank Road in Riverside South, with a link to the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport.

“Stage 2 LRT will connect our communities, major employment centres, post-secondary institutions, shopping and recreation destinations, and arts and culture hotpots,” said Watson. “It’s good news for our environment, supports healthy commuting, and gives residents more options on how they get around the city.”

The Stage 2 Light Rail Transit Project is a $4.66 billion project that is jointly funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Ottawa.