Background

Once implemented Ottawa’s new Transportation Master Plan (TMP) will take the City’s world-class transit system to an even higher level of customer service, comfort, and convenience. The cornerstone of our new transit network is a Downtown tunnel, stretching from the Escarpment near LeBreton Flats through to Campus Station at the University of Ottawa, serviced with light rail transit (LRT).

Work on the Downtown Ottawa Transit Tunnel (DOTT) has been ongoing since September 2007 and has been led by Delcan Corporation. Delcan is leading a multi-disciplinary and internationally recognized team of consultants comprised of engineers, planners, architects and other relevant specialists, including Halcrow Group, an international firm based in London, England with expertise in tunnel design.

Recently, Council expanded the scope of the study to include the project limits of Tunney’s Pasture Station in the west through to Blair Station in the east. This change in the project limits is reflective of Council’s first LRT priority, which is a completely grade-separated LRT line from Tunney’s Pasture station to Blair Station.

Preliminary work has now identified potential tunnel and surface alignments in the study area and station locations. Consultation groups - including agency, business and public stakeholders - have been formed and are being consulted on the work to date.

The public was provided with an opportunity to see and comment on this preliminary work on February 26, 2009 and the study is on target to be complete by January 2010.