SNC-Lavalin Selected as Preferred Bidder for Vancouver Skytrain Evergreen Line
TransLink, the greater Vancouver transport authority has selected a consortium led by SNC-Lavalin as preferred bidder for the contract to finance, design and build the $1.4 billion (canadian dollars) Skytrain Evergreen Line.
Joining SNC-Lavalin in the consortium as partners are Graham Building Services, International Bridge Technologies and Jacobs Associates Canada. They beat two other consortiums, EL Partners – Bombardier and Genivar, and Kiewit/Flatiron Evergreen Line – Kiewit, Hochtief and Stantec Consulting, Canada who were also vying for the contract.
The new Evergreen Line will run for 11km and will diverge from the existing Millennium Line at Lougheed Town Centre. It will then run on a viaduct through Burquitlam, before entering a 2km tunnel emerging east of Barnet highway. It will then run alongside the Canadian Pacific line heading towards Port Moody station where there will be an interchange with bus and commuter rail services, before it continues easterly, across a bridge over the Canadian Pacific tracks. Finally, the line will follow through Ioco towards Coquitlam, where it will turn north onto a short elevated section to reach the terminus at Douglas College.
Skytrain Evergreen Line to Carry 70,000 Passengers A Day
The new Skytrain Line will have services running 20 hours a day with a minimum headway of three minutes. The line is expected to carry around 70,000 passengers a day by 2021 with a journey time of just 40 minutes between central Vancouver and Coquitlam compared with approximately 85 minutes by car.
$583 million Canadian dollars will be contributed to the project from the British Columbia provincial government who are overseeing the construction project whilst TransLink who will be operating the Evergreen Line when it is completed are contributing $400 million Canadian dollars to the project. The remainder of the money ($417 million Canadian dollars) will be provided by the Canadian government.
The line is expected to open mid-2016 with major construction work expected to begin next month. Preliminary construction works are already underway.
