Two tenders for early construction on the Evergreen Line are posted today on BC Bid. Contracts are expected to be awarded by January 2012, and work will begin shortly after.

Audio of Minister Lekstrom on the Evergreen Line (snd.sc)

The two tenders include:

• Installing new underground BC Hydro power lines in Port Moody and Coquitlam for construction and operation of the Evergreen Line.
• Removing two vacant buildings in Coquitlam and one in Burnaby.

Installing new underground BC Hydro power lines will be one of the first in a series of construction activities to take place along the Evergreen Line route. This work is scheduled to take place in Port Moody and Coquitlam from January to June 2012.

Early construction also includes widening roads, moving utilities such as electrical and natural gas lines and relocating CP Rail tracks. This work will occur in several locations in Port Moody, Coquitlam and Burnaby before major construction begins. Additional early construction contracts will be tendered over the next several months.

The process to select the primary contractor is underway. Three shortlisted teams will submit proposals to design, build and finance the Evergreen Line by April 2012. The Province anticipates selecting the primary contractor in the summer of 2012. Major construction will begin shortly after that.

The Evergreen Line is scheduled to open in the summer of 2016. The new rapid transit line will connect Coquitlam to Vancouver via Port Moody and Burnaby. It will be a fast, frequent and convenient SkyTrain service, connecting Coquitlam City Centre through Port Moody to Lougheed Town Centre in approximately 15 minutes.

The Evergreen Line will allow passengers to connect, without transfer, to the existing SkyTrain network at Lougheed Station, and will integrate with regional bus and West Coast Express networks giving commuters more transportation choices.

Learn more:

Audio clip of Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Blair Lekstrom: http://snd.sc/sRzcaC

BC Bid: www.bcbid.gov.bc.ca

Evergreen Line: www.evergreenline.gov.bc.ca

Contact:

Kate Trotter
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
250 356-8241