The new subway line will run through Toronto, where the population is expected to increase rapidly from six million citizens now to over eight million by 2030.
The Group, in a joint venture with Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas Canada Ltd (FCC Canada), has signed a contract for an estimated total value of approximately €700 million - €1.3 billion to develop and build the Pape Tunnel and Underground Stations (PTUS) section of the Ontario Line. The final contract value will be determined by the detailed design, included in the contract.
Webuild, with a 50% share, is leading the joint venture, which will design and construct the works, commissioned by Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx. The PTUS contract for the Ontario Line North will be executed as a "progressive design-build", an innovative contract model, which involves close collaboration between the client, contractor, and designer, meaning lower execution risks in the start-up and construction phases of the project. A de-risking factor that adds to the Webuild Group's overall growth strategy in low-risk regions like Italy, European countries, Australia and, in particular, North America, all of which have launched major infrastructure development plans in recent years.
As a whole, the PTUS contract provides for the design, construction, supply and operation of 3km of twin tunnels, two underground stations, the interface with Toronto Transit Commission's Line 2 subway and related works.
The Ontario Line will run from Eglinton Crosstown LRT (Line 5) at Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue in the northeast to Exhibition Place in the southwest. It will cut travel times on the route to less than 30 minutes compared to the current 70 minutes.
The Ontario Line will extend 15.6km with 15 stations, six intermodal hubs and more than 40 connections with existing subway, streetcar, light-rail transit and regional rail lines and bus services. Webuild is already implementing, with the Connect 6ix consortium, the rolling stock, systems, operations and maintenance (RSSOM) package of works for the Ontario Line, which includes designing and implementing signalling, communication, and safety systems, supplying rolling stock, and carrying out the line's operation and maintenance.
The PTUS contract will be the third sustainable mobility project being built in Canada for Webuild. In addition to the RSSOM and PTUS packages of the Ontario Line, the Group is also carrying out the Hurontario project with the Mobilinx consortium, to build a light rail line that will run 18km near Toronto, along Hurontario Street.
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