The milestone occurred on Friday, May 29. Although final finishing work is still underway, the "substantial completion" certificate signals that construction will now enter a new phase and enables PortsToronto to set an opening date of late July 2015.
Determination of a final date will be communicated in the coming weeks and is dependent on commissioning one remaining elevator, completion of final finishing work such as tiling, the implementation of a new Digital Out-of-Home advertising platform and passenger service enhancements, and the installation of integral safety and security systems.
"After more than three years of work by PCL Construction and its trades, the PortsToronto team is pleased to announce this significant milestone," said Mark McQueen, Chairman, PortsToronto. "The tunnel will facilitate business travel, tourism and trade in our city, and our strong financial performance has provided the means to invest in this innovative infrastructure project. First announced in 1935, the tunnel is now closer than ever."
The tunnel, which cost CAD 82.5M (USD 66.47M) to build, has been financed by the private sector and will be ultimately paid for by airport users via the existing Airport Improvement Fee for Billy Bishop Airport, not the taxpayer. The City of Toronto also saved more than CAD 10M (USD 8M) on its own island water main and sewage project, while avoiding duplication of costly and disruptive construction work, due to an agreement reached in 2011 with PortsToronto. Under the agreement, PortsToronto designed the tunnel to suit the City’s needed water and sewage mains.
"Over the coming days and weeks, PCL Construction will complete the remaining work in the tunnel in an effort to bring us closer to opening day," said Geoffrey Wilson, CEO of PortsToronto. "These final construction and service elements will take a few more weeks to complete but we look forward to receiving our first travellers in late July and showcasing the award-winning innovation that has gone into the tunnel to improve access to the airport and provide passengers with a world-class travel experience."
