Here’s Who Will Build the New LRT in Brampton

Published August 26, 2019 at 7:24 pm

Big news about the incoming Hurontario Light Rail Transit project that’s set to run through Mississauga and part of Brampton: The builder has been chosen. 

Big news about the incoming Hurontario Light Rail Transit project that’s set to run through Mississauga and part of Brampton: The builder has been chosen. 

Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx recently announced that Mobilinx will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the $1.5 billion higher-order transit project. 

Members of the Mobilinx team include John Laing, Astaldi, Hitachi, Transdev, Amico Concessions, Salini Impregilo, IBI Group, Morrison Hershfield, Arcadis, Daoust Lestage, Exp. Transdev, National Bank and HSBC.

The aforementioned groups will be responsible for a range of tasks, including construction, design, maintenance and financial leadership. 

Infrastructure Ontario says the selection of Mobilinx was overseen by a third party fairness monitor.

The LRT, once completed, will span 18 km and run from Port Credit GO at Lakeshore Rd. in the south to the Brampton Gateway Terminal at Steeles Ave in the north. The LRT will boast 19 stops and provide connections to the Port Credit and Cooksville GO stations, Mississauga Transitway, GO Transit’s Milton line, Lakeshore West rail lines, MiWay and Zum transit lines.

The project will also include a maintenance and storage facility for the light rail vehicles located south of Highway 407 and west of Kennedy Road

Initially, it was slated to run 20 km and feature 22 stops, but Metrolinx recently announced it was chopping the City Centre loop to reduce costs.

While this news came as quite a shock, the city said it was happy to hear the project was proceeding as planned after the provincial NDP raised the alarm that the Doug Ford government might scrap it all together back in 2018.

When Metrolinx announced that it would be cutting the loop back in March, it said it will create a direct in-and-out access route from Hurontario to the Rathburn stop, which is located next to the MiWay Transit Terminal. 

Metrolinx also said it will defer the pedestrian bridge at the Cooksville stop to be included in a future transit-oriented development between the stop and GO station. There will also be changes to street-scaping along the corridor. 

In response to a Twitter user, Metrolinx said that streetscaping changes will not affect the separated bike lanes that have been planned for the project. 

“The project will include raised and separated cycle tracks north of the Queensway on both sides of Hurontario Street and a multi-use trail on the east side south of the Queensway,” Metrolinx wrote on Twitter in March 2019. 

After Metrolinx made its announcement regarding the loop, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said that the construction of the City Centre loop is crucially important and that the city will try to ensure it’s constructed eventually.  

The City of Brampton, which is currently debating where the LRT will go after it hits the Brampton Gateway Terminal, has praised the project for making travel more efficient for residents. 

“Efficient transit is one of the city’s key priorities as defined by our residents. We are happy to see this project move ahead and we continue to explore all the possibilities for Phase 2 that will bring a tunnelled LRT to Downtown Brampton GO,” Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said in a statement. 

IO and Metrolinx expect to award the contract to Mobilinx in fall 2019, with design work to begin shortly thereafter.

Those who want to learn more about the project should note that Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster and senior management team members will be at a Peel Region town hall on Sept. 5 at 7:00 p.m. to answer questions.

The town hall will be held at the Sheridan College Hazel McCallion campus in Mississauga, just across the street from Square One.

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