LRT dome could cost upwards of $2-million
Posted Jan 8, 2016 05:50:13 AM.
Last Updated Jan 12, 2016 12:17:25 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
We now know what it will cost to put up a dome on King Street in Kitchener to keep LRT construction moving along this winter.
The dome will be set up on King between Moore and Victoria.
Costs are estimated to be anywhere from $1-million to $2-million.
The decision to build the dome has been made, but who will pay for it will take some more time.
“For projects of this scope, almost a billion dollars, you’re going to have some hiccups along the way. This is a little bit of a hiccup,” Regional Councillor Sean Strickland tells 570 News.
“[We weren’t prepared for] some of the complexities we ran into with the grade separation, so we have to determine who is going to pay for that.”
Strickland says GrandLinq has the ability to make decision for extra costs if they remain within the agreed project budget.
However, Strickland added that he doesn’t know if any of the costs will fall in the region’s lap — adding that will come as the result of a negotiation process.
“Would it be better if we could know the actual costs? Well, yes, of course it would be,” says Regional Councillor Tom Galloway. “But at this point in time, we want the project to continue, and we’re going to follow the standard practices.”
“You don’t want the project to grind to a halt and have three months of negotiations over a particular item that has come up unexpectedly.”
Earlier this week, Regional Chair Ken Seiling told 570’s Eric Drozd Show there would be no additional cost to taxpayers to build the dome because it has been factored into the LRT budget.
Galloway and Strickland say if the Region must foot the bill, the money would come out of a contingency fund.
It’s expected it will take four weeks to erect the dome.
