[drum118]

Wait... You mean to tell me BOT lost the contract? That's absolutely nuts. It's going to be a tough year ahead if that's the case.

Why will it be a tough year with BOT gone and someone has replace them??

BOT was late on a lot of things as well ripping out areas and rebuilding them along with other issues that require them to be removed from the project just like other construction projects.

I should note backfilling was taking place to filling in the area between the guideway Curb and the existing road so it can be pave and allow traffic to return to 2 lanes in both direction from John to Dundas.

Once the south east corner is rebuilt at Dundas, the current detour will be history and should happen later this month.

 

[JJTheJetPln]

Why will it be a tough year with BOT gone and someone has replace them??

BOT was late on a lot of things as well ripping out areas and rebuilding them along with other issues that require them to be removed from the project just like other construction projects.

I should note backfilling was taking place to filling in the area between the guideway Curb and the existing road so it can be pave and allow traffic to return to 2 lanes in both direction from John to Dundas.

Once the south east corner is rebuilt at Dundas, the current detour will be history and should happen later this month.

I say tough year as someone who has previously worked in construction. You never want the initial company to quit or be let go from the contract because it'll cause significant confusion since every company has their way of doing things.

If BOT is out and someone else is in, they have to go through all the mistakes that ML brought up to the consortium, and the new company may have to go through all the work BOT did so they understand the logic that was used. If they find something they don't like, either ML, the consortium, or the new company themselves will need the money to foot the repairs, replacements, and so on.

I know ML had a laundry list of things that need to be replaced or redone, so I'm going to be curious to see just how much work the new company will be capable of doing. Do you have any clues on who it may be? Are they still negotiating?

 

[Toffy]

I am quite certain I have seen BOT crews working on the project in the last week, so that would be surprising. I am also skeptical to say the least.

Even if this is true it would be worth taking note that BOT is the smallest stakeholder of the construction team at Mobilinx and is predominantly responsible for structural work and ancillary road works. For reference Amico Infrastructure has 3 times BOT's stake and is performing much of the heavy civil works along the corridor. Never mind the fact that there are 3 other international partners who represent the lion's share of the stake in the construction arm of this consortium.

S&P put out a research report back in 2019 about Mobilinx that provided a good deal of information about the consortium and the project. You can read it here.

 

[TOtramz]

Is this project particularly difficult or different compared to the Finch West LRT. They seem to be similar in that they are both mostly at grade with a couple of grade separated stations.

Would you guys say that this LRT is going badly off track or is it more or less progressing well?

 

[JJTheJetPln]

I am quite certain I have seen BOT crews working on the project in the last week, so that would be surprising. I am also skeptical to say the least.

Even if this is true it would be worth taking note that BOT is the smallest stakeholder of the construction team at Mobilinx and is predominantly responsible for structural work and ancillary road works. For reference Amico Infrastructure has 3 times BOT's stake and is performing much of the heavy civil works along the corridor. Never mind the fact that there are 3 other international partners who represent the lion's share of the stake in the construction arm of this consortium.

S&P put out a research report back in 2019 about Mobilinx that provided a good deal of information about the consortium and the project. You can read it here.

Thank you for this. Clearly I didn't know there were more stakeholders to this project than I had initially anticipated. In any case, it's my belief that it can still set the project back some with the incoming company having to go over the work that was completed, and has yet to be completed - especially if they're going to have to answer to ML regarding changes / revisions to things BOT has done or had yet to do.

I've seen similar BOT crews working this week and was wondering if they were told to just patch up the remainder of work up to a certain time and then hand it off to the next company. Sounds like BOT is going to have to do walkthroughs with the new company, or is already in the process of doing them right now and we just don't know because we're outside looking in.

Is this project particularly difficult or different compared to the Finch West LRT. They seem to be similar in that they are both mostly at grade with a couple of grade separated stations.

Would you guys say that this LRT is going badly off track or is it more or less progressing well?

I would say it shouldn't be a difficult project, but it's coming across as one because while the work is progressing, ML is coming in and telling the contractors that some stuff is out of spec. It's causing delays because they have to rip and replace things. Combine that with the project potentially running out of money, and a company being replaced which burns even more money, and you've got a recipe for disaster.

There's still a significant amount of work that needs to be done in Brampton, the 403 / Near MCC / Port Credit. The 403 connection onto Hurontario and so on. There's a lot that still needs to be done. I remain hopeful that they can make significant progress this year, and that the remaining hardware and roadwork can be completed for a late 2026 launch.

 

[TOtramz]

I would say it shouldn't be a difficult project, but it's coming across as one because while the work is progressing, ML is coming in and telling the contractors that some stuff is out of spec. It's causing delays because they have to rip and replace things. Combine that with the project potentially running out of money, and a company being replaced which burns even more money, and you've got a recipe for disaster.

There's still a significant amount of work that needs to be done in Brampton, the 403 / Near MCC / Port Credit. The 403 connection onto Hurontario and so on. There's a lot that still needs to be done. I remain hopeful that they can make significant progress this year, and that the remaining hardware and roadwork can be completed for a late 2026 launch.

what's causing the project to potentially run out of money?
I hope this doesn't become a huge legal battle because of all the modifications MX is asking the contractor to do.

 

[JJTheJetPln]

what's causing the project to potentially run out of money?
I hope this doesn't become a huge legal battle because of all the modifications MX is asking the contractor to do.

https://globalnews.ca/news/10810909/hurontario-lrt-credit-rating-construction-delays/ - I believe this was the article I came across regarding the delays and cost overruns.

IIRC - It was due to Mobilinx Hurontario (The consortium building the line) failing to return equipment, pay rental fees, and settle $2.7M with one of the companies involved.

Aside from that, they need to procure special track from Hitachi I believe... Mobilinx saw that some of the track was out of spec and needs to be replaced which sets the crews back a significant time. There were also requests that basically required them to reprocure the same track twice because of design changes.

Combine all of this together, and you'll get the idea that something's definitely afoot.

 

[Toffy]

https://globalnews.ca/news/10810909/hurontario-lrt-credit-rating-construction-delays/ - I believe this was the article I came across regarding the delays and cost overruns.

IIRC - It was due to Mobilinx Hurontario (The consortium building the line) failing to return equipment, pay rental fees, and settle $2.7B with one of the companies involved.

Aside from that, they need to procure special track from Hitachi I believe... Mobilinx saw that some of the track was out of spec and needs to be replaced which sets the crews back a significant time. There were also requests that basically required them to reprocure the same track twice because of design changes.

Combine all of this together, and you'll get the idea that something's definitely afoot.

I'm sure it was a typo, but as the article states the money owed to the subcontractor was $2.7 million, not billion.

As far as this rumour goes about BOT being removed from the project, on my way into work this morning I decided to go up Hurontario to see how things are coming along. I tend to avoid Hurontario, not because of traffic, but because the road itself is in an absolutely brutal condition. Anyways equipment, pick-up trucks, vans and crews from BOT Construction were out working at a couple sites along the line and including the 403 crossing.

 

[drum118]

March 11
Took a walk down to Metrolinx Community Office today to get some info and shot the corridor, something I haven't done this year. Some of the info I wanted from ML could not be obtain as not in their scope knowledge which I expected before going there. We had a good talk on thing and taken back on a few things noted below. They had no knowledge about BOT at all as they only deal with Mobilinx directly. What takes place within Mobilinx is a Mobilinx Issues.

Contrary to @ZEBuilder posting for testing that is only to Courtneypark, ML still has it to happen to Eglinton this year since there only a few LRV's in OMSF now. Still time to get the missing tracks and OS poles up before the stringing of the line. If there is a change, Mobilinx hasn't past the info on to ML yet who may say no to the change.

As it stands today and someone high up the ladder needs to jump on this now, The Steeles Station will remain on the southside regardless of the Brampton Extension that is ago to move it to the north side this year.

At the same time, both extension are to be tender that Mobilinx may not bid on it or even get them. Then what happens to the 30 year life plan if the the 2 extensions are open years after the line is open with one to two different builders are looking after those extensions??

The wye for Burnhamthorpe will not happen until there is a new plan and revise EA for the loop that needs to happen first. Unless ML plans on using GO Buses after the line opens to put in the wye, miWay has no buses to fill the lack of LRV's as they are to be assign to other routes that need beefing up now and more so by 2027. Traffic will be a mess rebuilding Burnhamthorpe intersection that you will almost have to double the amount of current buses or more to deal with the gridlock traffic. Lack of miWay buses is do to the city not building the 3rd garage and getting more than 500 buses that they have today.

Amico has replaced BOT doing the guideway and BOT been down graded to other areas for reasons noted above since Amico is larger than BOT from word on the street.

The missing guideway curb south of Central Parkway is now poured and it wasn't there Sunday. Grading was was taking place with the next step to pour the base of the guideway from CP to the bridge.

The area between John St to the CP bridge being dug up for the guideway and the Cooksville Station.

All the ductwork is gone that was store under the bridge with it being installed south of Hillcrest. If the trackwork north of Eglinton is to be the same at TLK area, a major issue with students crossing the guideway while the line is in service.

More phots up on my site

 

[JJTheJetPln]

At the same time, both extension are to be tender that Mobilinx may not bid on it or even get them. Then what happens to the 30 year life plan if the the 2 extensions are open years after the line is open with one to two different builders are looking after those extensions??

Easily explained. Mobilinx maintains what they built under the terms they agreed on, and the second contractor maintains the sections of the rail that they built under the terms of the new contract for whichever extension. It just means that they have two different contractors maintaining warranty on two different phases, it's not unheard of, but is uncommon.

In cases like this with the loop and the extension into Brampton, Mobilinx and the new contractor (if there will be a new contractor building the second phase) will only oversee things as it relates to what they've done. What this means is that if the loop is intended to be connected to what Mobilinx lays down, it means that Mobilinx needs to create a fork and make it available for the new contractor to connect to. Same deal with the Brampton extension. Mobilinx will need to make a fork in the road, more than likely carrying it from the southbound section to the northbound section, and have the new contractor continue after that.

If they don't do that, then it means that the contractor better know what they're doing if they touch the work that Mobilinx does. Any damages that either Mobilinx or the second contractor does, they'd have to foot the bill for repairs and parts.