The cost of expanding the Toronto metro in Scarborough has almost doubled, according to new estimates, which show that the project price is now north of $ 10 billion.
THE Scarborough metro extension was announced for the first time in 2019 as part of Ontario’s “Vision Transportation”, Doug Ford, alongside projects like the Ontario line and an extension to Eglinton Crosstown West.
The underground road with three stops effectively replaces The Scarborough RT now closed And takes the metro almost eight km further in Scarborough.
The initial profitability analysis of the Provincial Transit Metrolinx agency for the project has enabled around $ 5.5 billion. The figures disclosed in an update of its last meeting of the Board of Directors show that the route should now cost $ 10.2 billion.
The agency underlined in a press release that the 2019 price was only for the construction of the route and did not include operating costs such as the maintenance cycle of the route, which has now been added to the count.
“As we do with all the main construction projects, the initial cost estimate (5.5 billion dollars) announced in 2019 was only the estimated construction cost of the project,” said a Metrolinx spokesperson.
Get daily national news
Get the best news of the day, the titles of political, economic and current affairs, delivered in your reception box once a day.
“The value of $ 10.2 billion includes construction costs as well as the additional costs of the project, such as the acquisition of properties, technical engineering advisers, installation, tests and the commissioning of all systems equipment, and interconnection with existing TTC systems.”
They declared that the total cost also captures the design, the offer, the tests and the commissioning of the track, as well as an additional track going east of Kennedy station.
“We have to build,” Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford said on Tuesday. “It comes back – for decades and decades, everyone spoke of a Scarborough metro, nobody would do anything. We intervened and did it. ”
Ontario’s NDP chief Marit Stiles said the increase was worrying.
“Ten billion dollars are not spare changes, it is the harshly earned money,” she said in a statement. “We need a public inquiry into Metrolinx. The culture of secrecy, wasted dollars and delays cannot continue. Something must change. “
The increase in the costs of the extension of Scarborough Subway follows a model similar to the government’s signature line in Ontario.
This line was revealed alongside the metro extension in 2019 and at a price of $ 10.9 billion. By 2022, once contracts have been distributed, the estimate increased between $ 17 and 19 billion.
Last June, The number has increased again to 27.2 billion dollars. The last estimate included acquisition of properties and all operating costs, such as the metro extension.
Metrolinx spokesperson said the two projects were part of a historic transit expansion in Toronto and the surrounding area.
“The government of Ontario is making the largest metro expansion in Canadian history to combat the dead end which costs $ 56 billion in the Ontario economy per year,” they said.
& Copy 2025 Global News, A Division of Corus Entertainment Inc.