Bechtel selected as Ontario Line delivery partner
One of the largest construction and engineering companies in the United States will lend its expertise to the Ontario Line subway project.
Reston Virginia’s Bechtel announced on December 8 that it had been selected by Metrolinx as the delivery partner for the project.
Alongside sub-vendors Bantrel Constructors and Comtech Group, Bechtel will help to prepare for the construction of the 15.6-kilometre rapid transit line. The company has extensive expertise of working in similar urban environments, and will help Metrolinx to maximize opportunities for contractors to deliver the project and engage with community and industry stakeholders to address construction concerns.
"Bechtel is extremely pleased to have been selected by Metrolinx as their delivery partner for the Ontario Line in Toronto," said Kelvin Sims, Bechtel general manager, Infrastructure Americas. "Our team will bring considerable experience and lessons learned from similar recent roles around the world to help establish a collaborative integrated project team with the client and its other consultants and contractors. We look forward to the challenges and excitement of this historic project."
The project will require a mix of surface, elevated and underground tracks to bring transit to more communities and will travel through dozens of neighbourhoods.
"The Ontario Line will be part of a truly integrated transit network that will make getting around the city and the entire region easier and more intuitive," said Malcolm McKay, Ontario Line program sponsor for Metrolinx. "Teams across Metrolinx are excited for this important project which will lift communities up and make them more successful and sustainable as the city grows."
The northern terminus will be located near the Science Centre and a critical connection to the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit line. The project's southern terminus will be at or near Exhibition Place and Ontario Place along the City's waterfront. The project includes 15 stations, six interchanges with other modes of transit, passenger pick-ups and drop off areas, and a maintenance and storage facility. The current anticipated completion of the project is end of 2030.
Bechtel has been in business since 1906, and recorded annual revenue of more than $17 billion in 2020. The company’s list completed megaprojects reads like a who’s who of global infrastructure, and includes the Hoover Dam, the Bay Area Rapid Transit line in San Francisco, the Channel Tunnel, and a safe confinement shelter at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine.