Tunnel Study Results Anticipated Q1 2016

Post date: Nov 26, 2015 5:02:42 PM

During the past 16 months the global engineering firm Parsons has been progressing the downtown tunnel feasibility study. The results are expected to be released in early 2016. The study results will be presented to Ottawa City council for deliberation of potential next steps.

Since this feasibility study was launched both the Ontario and Federal governments have announced their intentions to increase the level of dedicated funding made available for infrastructure investments on road and transit projects.

In the case of the Ontario Government this has been named "Moving Ontario Forward - Outside the GTHA" and the funding level has been set at 15B$ from 2015-2025. This amount is separate from the 16B$ that has been earmarked specifically for the GTHA itself.

The Harper Federal Government in their 2015-2016 Budget announced the "New Building Canada Fund" which will provide 13B$ nationally for infrastructure projects.

With the Liberal's rising to power in the 2015 Federal Election, a further commitment was made to invest 20B$ in transit over the next 10 years and with this commitment to dedicated funding for transit announced that the funding available under the "New Building Canada Fund" could be used more exclusively for non-transit related projects.

Since 2013 when the Tunnel Feasibility Study was launched, politicians representing the areas affected by the downtown truck problem at the municipal, provincial, and federal level are on the record as saying they are supportive of such a project should the Study indicate its feasibility.