Ottawa picks consortium for LRT project

Ottawa city officials Wednesday announced it had awarded the Rideau Transit Group, a consortium including ACS Infrastructure Canada and SNC Lavalin, a design-build-finance-maintain contract for the Canadian capital's initial light rail transit line. The decision is subject to final approval by the City Council, expected later this month.

Alstom will provide 30 Citadis low-floor light rail vehicles for the project. Alstom also was chosen to provide cars for expansion of Ottawa’s existing O-train.

Other players in the Rideau consortium include Ellis Don Corp., Veolia Transportation, BBB architects, and Thurber Engineering.

The federal government and Ontario’s provincial government each has committed up to C$600 million for the C$2.1 billion project, now named the Confederation Line. The 7.7-mile line will run from Tunney’s Pasture to Blair Road and will include a downtown tunnel, the need and scope of which has been hotly debated for some time.