Ontario Moves Ahead With DRIC Construction Projects

UNCLAS TORONTO 000018

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DOT/FHWA, EPA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD KHLS PGOV CA
SUBJECT: Ontario Moves Ahead With DRIC Construction Projects

REF: 09 TORONTO 209


1. (SBU) Following the December 3, 2009 approval of the federal
environmental assessment by the GOC, Ontario moved ahead with the
province's portion of the Detroit River International Crossing
(DRIC) that will expand the busiest trade corridor between the
United States and Canada. On December 29, Infrastructure Ontario
and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) released a request
for proposals (RFP) inviting companies short-listed to design,
build, finance, and maintain the 7-mile-long border crossing access
road to submit formal construction proposals. There are no
specific domestic content requirements. However, successful teams
had to demonstrate the ability to partner with local contractors.


2. (SBU) In June 2009, Infrastructure Ontario and the Ontario
Ministry of Transportation began pre-qualifying teams to design,
build, finance and maintain The Windsor-Essex Parkway project. The
submission process for the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was
open to any firm, and the RFP bid process is limited to the three
firms short-listed through the RFQ process. The three finalists,
Rose City Parkway Group, Windsor Essex Parkway Group, and
Windsor-Essex Transportation Partners have roughly six months to
prepare and submit their proposals.


3. (SBU) The RFQ process ranked proposals from bidding firms based
on their approach to partnering, design, construction, and
maintenance, as well as their financing abilities to ensure
completion of the project. There were no restrictions on foreign
content. The successful team will be announced in late 2010.
Initial construction of the Parkway began in December 2009 with the
building of a new noise barrier and two bridges for the Parkway by
a local contractor. Full construction of the Parkway is scheduled
to begin in 2011.
JOHNSON