Preferred bidders for the 7.8km Scarborough Subway and 9.2km Eglinton Crosstown West metro extensions in Toronto are Strabag and the Aecon, Dragados and Ghella West End Contractors JV, respectively. The two groups will now work with project owner, Infrastructure Ontario, and metro operator, Metrolinx, to finalise best value proposals with a financial close for the running tunnel design-built-finance contracts later in 2021.

7.8km Scarborough Subway extension

Working with Strabag on the Scarborough Subway bid is design team Arup Canada and Brian Isherwood & Associates. With West End Contractors on the Eglinton Crosstown West contract is design team TYPSA and EXP Services; and financial advisors ACS Infrastructure Canada, Aecon Concessions, Scotiabank Capital, and Ghella Investments & Partnerships.

The preferred bidders, known as first negotiations proponents, were the highest ranked of three shortlisted groups on each contract, after evaluation based on design and construction methodology, project management approach, and the collaborative behaviours of key individuals in the bid teams. The process was overseen by a third-party fairness monitor.

Procurement of the stations, rail and systems contract for the Scarborough Subway is anticipated to begin shortly, and is yet to be confirmed for the Eglinton Crosstown West project.

Extending Eglinton route west toward Toronto airport

Alongside the Scarborough Subway and Eglinton Crosstown West projects, the city of Toronto is progressing the new 15.5km Ontario Line with shortlists announced in January 2021 for the southern civil works, including construction of 6km of underground alignment and six underground stations, and for the supply of rolling stock, systems, operations and maintenance. Contracts are expected to be awarded in 2022 when a third package of work is also expected to be tendered covering construction of the northern section of the line. Procurement for construction of a fourth line, the 7.4km Yonge North extension, is anticipated to begin in the second half of 2021.

Six teams are shortlisted to present proposals for the tunnelling contracts on the Scarborough Subway and the Eglinton Crosstown West extensions in Toronto, Canada. The selection was based on criteria identified in the request for qualifications, and criteria included design and construction experience and the financial capacity to deliver works of the size and complexity. Teams with the top three scores were then shortlisted for each project.

The shortlisted teams will be invited to respond to a request for proposals during the Summer (2020) to excavate the running tunnels required for the projects. Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx expect to award these tunnelling contracts in mid-2021. A fairness monitor will oversee the entire procurement process.

Excavation of the tunnels is to be advanced first to expedite work on the projects for Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx respectively. The tunnel contracts will be followed by separate contracts for building the stations, fitting out the tunnels, and installing and commissioning the systems.

The Scarborough Subway Extension is an 8km extension of Line 2 from Kennedy Station to McCowan Road/Sheppard Avenue (Fig 1).

The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension is a 9.2km extension of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT which will become the future Toronto Transit Commission Line 5. The extension will run mostly underground, westward from the future Mount Dennis Station to Renforth Drive (Fig 2). Metrolinx is collaborating with municipal partners also on the proposed alignment from Renforth Drive to the Pearson Airport, which takes into account plans for a Regional Transit Centre.

The Scarborough Subway Extension and the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension are two of four priority transit projects announced by the Province of Ontario in 2019 for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. The other two projects are the Ontario Line and the Yonge North Subway Extension.

Procurements for the subway program will be staged to ensure each project is delivered successfully. Planning is underway for all four projects.