Breakthrough on Ottawa LRT

20 November 2014


CANADA - The roadheader mining in the central shaft from the east segment to the west segment punched through on November 7, according to the City of Ottawa. At the time of the breakthrough, 48 per cent of Lyon Station cavern excavation has completed.

Three roadheaders are mining Ottawa's 2.5km-long downtown tunnel. It is part of phase 1 of the city's light rail transit (LRT) system called the Confederation Line. This initial segment is 12.5km long with 13 stations, three underground. Most of the alignment is between 16m to 24m below ground.

The Confederation Line is being built through a public-private-partnership with the Rideau Transit Group (RTG), which will maintain the line through 2038. RTG comprises ACS Infrastructure Canada Inc., Dragados Canada Inc., EllisDon, SNC-Lavalin, Dr. Sauer & Partners Corporation, Hatch Mott MacDonald and Thurber Engineering Ltd., among others.

Tunnelling started in late fall 2013. Construction is scheduled to complete on the Confederation Line in 2017.