Yonge Street Viva transit contract awarded

dcnonl.com
May 1, 2014

York RapidLINK Constructors has been awarded the $260.5 million contract to design and build the York Viva Bus Rapid Transit (vivaNext) rapidways along Yonge Street in the towns of Richmond Hill and Newmarket.

The project involves widening Yonge Street within Richmond Hill and Newmarket to accommodate approximately nine kilometres of dedicated rapidway lanes for Viva rapid transit vehicles in the centre of the road as well as 10 new vivastations.

York RapidLINK Constructors is a 50/50 joint venture comprised of Aecon and Dufferin Construction Company, a division of Holcim (Canada) Inc.

In Richmond Hill, the Yonge Street rapidway will extend 6.5 kilometres from Highway 7 to 19th Avenue/ Gamble Road, including seven new vivastations. In the heritage area north of Major Mackenzie Drive, Viva will continue to drive in mixed traffic.

In Newmarket, the rapidway will extend 2.4 kilometres on Yonge Street from just south of Mulock Drive to Davis Drive, and will include three new vivastations. Construction is expected to begin later this year, and be completed by the end of 2018.

As part of York Region’s rapid transit plan, dedicated rapidways will connect people to key urban centres and other transit services, including GO Transit, the Spadina subway extension and the proposed Yonge subway extension to Richmond Hill at the Langstaff Urban Growth Centre at Highway 7. The Richmond Hill Centre Terminal will be a key point for transferring between several modes of transit, and will influence significant residential, business, entertainment and cultural developments over time.

York Region Rapid Transit Corporation (YRRTC) is responsible for the planning, design and construction of the full vivaNext rapid transit network and related infrastructure to deliver on the transit priorities set out in the York Region Transportation Master Plan. YRRTC is a wholly-owned subsidiary and share capital corporation of The Regional Municipality of York.

Work will commence in the second quarter of 2014 and is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2018.