Improved tunnel alignment for Ottawa LRT project

Written by jrood

An improved tunnel alignment will be included in Ottawa's Light Rail Transit project. This new alignment, one block North to Queen Street in Ottawa, Ontario, allows the tunnel to be constructed at a significantly reduced depth and remain under the street. Instead of twelve stories underground, the new alignment will be four stories underground, making the tunnel less expensive and reducing risk. "The plan released today proposes a new alignment and a more practical tunnel that makes a lot more sense," said Ottawa's Mayor, Jim Watson. "The resulting product, the first phase of our light rail transit system, will be a significant improvement and it will be less costly than the previous plan." These improvements came as a result of the new council direction to re-evaluate the previous project assumptions. With the benefit of extensive engineering done over the past eight months, a less costly option was found. This means that the Ottawa Light Rail Transit project can be delivered for $1.74 billion in 2009 dollars or $2.1 billion in inflation adjusted dollars. "I am very pleased that our work has paid off," said Mayor Watson. "This council will continue to put pressure on the private sector to innovate during the procurement phase and deliver the best possible project for the taxpayers of Ottawa."  

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