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Province looking for company to build Surrey-Langley SkyTrain’s elevated guideway

B.C. taking requests for qualifications, will then narrow down to 3 for next phase
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The SkyTrain goes through Whalley on July 14, 2022. The province announced on Aug. 3 that it is now seeking requests for qualifications for construction of the SkyTrain’s elevated guideway. (Photo: Anna Burns)

The province is now taking requests for qualifications from companies as the first phase of procurement for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain begins.

The provincial government is now inviting companies to submit their qualifications to build the SkyTrain extension’s elevated guideway, according to a release Wednesday (Aug. 3).

This follows B.C.’s Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Rob Fleming announcing last month the release of the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain’s business case and the formal approval of provincial funding.

READ ALSO: Surrey to Langley Skytrain moves forward, July 14, 2022

READ ALSO: Horgan pledges NDP will complete $1.5 billion SkyTrain extension to Langley, Oct. 8, 2020

READ ALSO: Trudeau pledges $1.3 billion for SkyTrain to Langley, July 9, 2021

Capital costs are estimated to be $3.94 billion, which includes $2.4 billion from the federal government and the remainder from local government.

The total estimated cost, which includes active transportation investments, is $4.01 billion.

As part of the “competitive selection process,” the province has started a request for qualifications (RFQ) to “identify a contractor to design, build and partially finance the guideway, roadworks and utilities, as well as active transportation elements, such as cycling and walking paths along the extensions.”

RFQs are due Nov. 1, 2022.

The release notes that once the RFQs are evaluation, “as many as three teams will be selected to participate in the subsequent phase of the competitive selection process, which is the request for proposal stage.”

During the July 14 announcement on the business case and funding approval, Fleming said he’s “happy to report that the project is not only moving quickly but the first phase of procurement will begin next month.”

Meantime, the business case notes to “increase bid competition and enable a greater number of local companies to bid on different elements of the project will be delivered through three different sub-contracts.”

The first contract is for the SkyTrain’s elevated guideway.

READ ALSO: What are the next steps for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain project?, July 23, 2022

The second will be for station construction, along with active transportation elements including cycling and walking paths “that will integrate into the project.” Procurement for that contract is expected to start in the fall.

The third contract will be for electrical systems, with procurement expected to begin as early as December.

Major construction is expected to begin in 2024, with an opening date sometime in 2028.

READ ALSO: TransLink CEO says Surrey-Langley SkyTrain line set to open 2028 but ‘not delayed’, Sept. 23, 2021

Currently, the city is undergoing early works construction along Fraser Highway.

According to a release from the city on Wednesday, that work includes widening the centre median to accommodate guideway construction.

In early June, Surrey city council approved a $17.5-million construction contract for work to widen Fraser Highway to four lanes with cycling and pedestrian facilities

That work, which has already started, is expected to be completed by May 2023.

And it was in the fall of 2020 that council approved widening Fraser Highway to four lanes between 140 Street through Green Timbers to allow for the elevated guideway.

VIDEO: Four lanes of traffic now flows through Surrey’s Green Timbers forest in prep for SkyTrain, Nov. 30, 2021



lauren.collins@surreynowleader.com

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Lauren Collins

About the Author: Lauren Collins

I'm a provincial reporter for Black Press Media's national team, after my journalism career took me across B.C. since I was 19 years old.
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