Bird, AtkinsRéalis joint venture selected for East Harbour Transit Hub
A joint venture between Bird and AtkinsRéalis has been selected to deliver Toronto’s East Harbour Transit Hub.
Operating as the Rail Connect (RC) Partners joint venture, the companies will work with Merolinx to build the new interchange station that is part of a broader transit-oriented community plan for Toronto.
The East Harbour Transit Hub is one of the first major projects in Canada to be procured using an alliance model. The model has been used internationally to plan and deliver large, complex infrastructure programs, driving innovation and collaboration between parties. The alliance model is better equipped to manage risk with greater transparency and cooperative decision-making.
Under the alliance development agreement, the organizations will cooperate to develop the design solution, prepare detailed estimates for resources, costs and schedules, prepare a project proposal, finalize the project alliance agreement, and perform early construction works.
"This award advances our strategic priority to grow our infrastructure portfolio while maintaining our disciplined pursuit of projects with appropriate risk profiles,” said Teri McKibbon, President and CEO of Bird. “We are proud to play a key role in this project.”
The East Harbour Transit Hub will support local transit needs in the community and regional connectivity, through the incorporation of the GO Train, Ontario Line subway and future Toronto Transit Commission light rail transit. Service levels planned as part of GO Expansion would see a GO train arriving as frequently as every five minutes.
“The alliance development agreement represents a significant development for us in how we execute large projects without a fixed price contract model; we are thrilled to work closely with our alliance partners to apply this collaborative model to deliver an exciting new regional transportation hub,” said Ian L. Edwards, President and Chief Executive Officer, AtkinsRéalis. “We are proud to contribute to improving transportation links in the Greater Toronto Area and developing innovative solutions to improve accessibility for commuters."