Independent certifier says Ottawa LRT has not yet met threshold for 'substantial completion'
Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: May 15, 2019
An independent certifier agrees with the City of Ottawa that the $2.1-billion Confederation Line LRT project isn’t done construction, according to the city.
O-Train construction director Michael Morgan told council in a memo Wednesday afternoon that the certifier heard the city’s concerns about the Rideau Transit Group’s opinion that the project has reached “substantial completion.”
“Broadly, the (certifier) agrees with the city’s opinion that RTG has not achieved substantial completion and agrees that additional work is required,” Morgan wrote in the memo. “Despite this assessment, it is important to note that RTG has been continuing work on all areas in an effort to close out issues throughout the Confederation Line system.”
The certifier has recommended that the city meet with RTG about the outstanding work, the memo says, but Morgan doesn’t provide details about what exactly the certifier flagged.
RTG is required to provide a corrective action plan within five days, followed by a new date for substantial completion.
Earlier Wednesday, transportation general manager John Manconi said city lawyers and technical experts have been going over the certifier’s review.
“It’s a complicated process. We need to take our time. This is serious stuff,” Manconi said after a transit commission meeting.
City and RTG officials met Tuesday afternoon at city hall to discuss the certifer’s report.
“We’re aligned on the path forward,” Manconi said.
RTG submitted paperwork to the project’s independent certifier to decide if the project has reached substantial completion. The certifier had until late Monday afternoon to make a determination.
A substantially complete project would mean the LRT system is virtually ready for use. The declaration would allow RTG to begin the mandatory 12 days of full-system testing mimicking regular transit service. If, at the end of the 12 days, there were no major problems, the LRT system could be handed over to the city.
If the system isn’t substantially complete, RTG needs to provide a plan that addresses the unfinished work before applying again for a substantial completion designation, triggering another review by the certifier.
The city and RTG equally pay for the certifier. The independent certification services are provided by Altus Group.
The city has been largely concerned about the readiness of the Alstom Citadis Spirit trains. The problems, such as door jams and computer bugs, have been characterized as very fixable. Mayor Jim Watson has called the head of Alstom to emphasize to the French company the importance of getting the train work done.
There are 34 single vehicles in the Stage 1 fleet. Fifteen trains, each with two connected vehicles, will run during the peak service hours.
The 12.5-kilometre Confederation Line will run between Tunney’s Pasture and Blair Station via a downtown tunnel. All three levels of government are paying for the project, with city taxpayers paying the most.
The original revenue service availability date — in other words, the handover date to the city — was May 24, 2018. The project contract says the city has the right to terminate the agreement if completion is 365 days after the revenue service availability date.
After missing the May 2018 handover deadline, RTG proposed handover dates for Nov. 2, 2018, and March 31, 2019. The company missed both those handovers, too.
RTG has told they city that it can deliver the LRT system by the end of June.
jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling
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