Broadway Subway: $2.83B project awarded to Acciona-Ghella; ground to break this fall

Broadway Subway construction to begin Crews will break ground this fall on the long-awaited Broadway Subway line, the government announced Thursday.

Vancouver — Gearing up for construction on the Broadway Subway project, officials announced Thursday that the design and construction process has been awarded to Acciona-Ghella

Premier John Horgan was joined by Vancouver's mayor, Kennedy Stewart, for the morning briefing.

"As we restore the economy through BC’s Restart Plan, major infrastructure projects like the Broadway Subway line will be key to our recovery," Horgan said.

"When completed, the Broadway Subway will transform how people get around in Vancouver. It will mean faster travel to work and school, better access to local business and fewer cars on the road."

Horgan and Stewart also spoke alongside MP for Vancouver Quadra Joyce Murray, federal Minister of Infrastructure Catherine McKenna, B.C.'s Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Claire Trevena and Michael Ladrak, president and general manager of the BC Rapid Transit Company.

"The Broadway Subway means less congestion, better transit, more rental housing, thousands of high-paying construction jobs and will be an important weapon in our fight against climate change," Stewart said during the announcement.

Work has continued in recent months to prepare the busy Broadway corridor for the upcoming Broadway Subway project.

Multiple temporary lane closures were in effect last year for surveying work and trolley wire relocation took place throughout the summer, leading to additional closures and bus detours.

Construction on the $2.83-billion project – which will create six rapid transit stops between VCC-Clark and Arbutus – is expected to begin this fall. The line is expected to be in service by 2025.

The design and construction contract is valued at more than $1.72 billion.

Funding for the project is coming from the all three levels of government and TransLink.

"Public transit allows Canadians to get where they need to go in affordable and environmentally friendly ways," Murray said in the release.

"It’s great to see another important step reached in building the Broadway Subway, which will introduce a convenient new green transportation option along one of the city’s busiest corridors. Canada’s infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country and builds stronger communities."

Once completed, it's expected to take 11 minutes for transit users to travel from VCC-Clark to Arbutus Station.