Winnipeg, MB - Building a city-wide rapid transit network took significant steps forward today with the naming of Plenary Roads Winnipeg as the preferred bidder for the construction of the Southwest Rapid Transitway (Stage 2), as well as the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking to undertake a functional study to examine possible routes for a rapid transit corridor connecting east Winnipeg with the downtown Mayor Brian Bowman announced today.
“Winnipeg is a growing, thriving city, and building a modern and efficient public transportation system is essential to support our city’s growth,” said Mayor Bowman.
Following an RFP process which concluded in March 2016, Plenary Roads Winnipeg was selected as the preferred bidder to construct the Southwest Rapid Transitway (Stage 2) & Pembina Highway Underpass project. Plenary Roads Winnipeg achieved the highest score for its combined technical and financial submission for the project.
Naming the preferred bidder is a necessary step that allows the City to begin working with the preferred bidder to complete the financial and contractual obligations required to award the contract.
“When completed, the Southwest Transitway will allow Winnipeg Transit to bypass heavy traffic volumes on Pembina Highway, leading to greater on-time reliability, higher travel speeds, and improved service to the surrounding neighbourhoods,” said Mayor Bowman.
An RFP was also issued today seeking proposals to undertake a functional study to determine the most effective route for a rapid transit line from downtown Winnipeg to eastern Winnipeg. A functional study sets out the conceptual design, identifies associated transportation improvements as well as the broad implementation strategy for the next rapid transit route. It represents the initial step toward implementing the next rapid transit corridor.
“As construction begins on the Southwest Transitway, we need to begin examining the next best route, and this initial work will be undertaken along the eastern corridor which was identified in the Transportation Master Plan as the next priority for rapid transit.”
On June 25, 2014, Council delegated the authority to identify the preferred bidder for the Southwest Transitway (Stage 2) and Pembina Highway Underpass Project to the Chief Administrative Officer. The Chief Administrative Officer also has the Council-delegated authority to award the project to the preferred bidder once financial and contractual negotiations are completed.
The Southwest Rapid Transitway (Stage 2) and Pembina Highway Underpass Project is a Public-Private Partnership (P3) with a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain model. Under this model the private partner will develop the detailed design for the project, construct it, finance it, and maintain it. This is very similar to the models used by the City of Winnipeg for the Disraeli Bridges Project and the Chief Peguis Trail extension.
A key component of Southwest Rapid Transitway (Stage 2) and Pembina Highway Underpass P3 Project is that the private partner will maintain it over a 30-year concession period from 2019 until 2049, at which point it will be turned back over to the City in a condition acceptable to the City. The operations/maintenance component will not include the operation or maintenance of Winnipeg Transit buses, which will remain the responsibility of Winnipeg Transit.
The project has a total budget of $587.3 million, with funding being provided by all three levels of government.
Completion of the project will also represent a significant step forward in building the transportation network outlined in the City’s Transportation Master Plan, and will help promote the increased densification of Winnipeg by facilitating the future development of several large-scale, infill, transit-oriented developments identified in Our Winnipeg - Complete Communities.
Construction of the Southwest Rapid Transitway (Stage 2) and Pembina Highway Underpass Project is expected to begin in the summer of 2016, with completion in late 2019. Following a period of testing, training and commissioning, Transit operations on the new transitway are expected to commence in April 2020.
The Southwest Rapid Transitway (Stage 2) and Pembina Highway Underpass Project is comprised of significant infrastructure components in the southwest quadrant of the city including: the completion of Stage 2 of the Southwest Transitway, the addition of active transportation infrastructure, the renewal and expansion of the Pembina Underpass, and connections to the University of Manitoba and Investors Group Field.
The project will help accommodate anticipated population growth in southwest Winnipeg that is expected to lead to an estimated 40 per cent traffic increase on Pembina Highway by 2030. Once completed, the project improvements, which are consistent with the Council-approved Transportation Master Plan (2011), will allow for transportation options (buses, active transportation, cars, and trucks) to operate in a more sustainable and integrated manner. These benefits will begin upon project completion and last well into the future.
Visit Winnipegtransit.com for more information.