The National Capital Commission announced Friday morning it would not accept the city’s proposal to put only part of the 1.2-kilometre stretch of western light rail underground.
The commission rejected the city’s plan based on its failure to meet two conditions set by the NCC’s board of directors, according to a press release.
The city’s proposal will not allow for “unimpeded continuous access to the corridor lands and Ottawa River shorelines, and minimal visual impact on the corridor landscape quality and the user experience of the corridor,” the release states.
Instead, the NCC offered two plans, which they say will “preserve the Sir John A. Mcdonald Parkway while serving the needs of the city,” reported CBC.
The plans include digging a deeper tunnel along the current proposed route or reexamining the Rochester Field-Richmond Street option, which the NCC said the city overlooked in its initial assessment.
“We anticipate that the Rochester Field alignment could benefit regional transportation, while protecting a treasured national asset,” said the commission’s CEO Dr. Mark Kristmanson in the release.
The city’s plan for the western expansion of the light rail project was passed unanimously last June.
It outlined a strategy where 700 metres of light rail would be buried under the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway instead of the full 1.2-kilometre stretch the NCC had requested.
At the time, the CBC reported that the decision was based on saving costs, as taking the Rochester Park option underground would raise the overall cost of the project from $980 million to $1.7 billion.
During the press conference Friday, the NCC suggested the cost could remain the same if other sections of the line were moved above ground.
The western extension would begin after the completion of the Confederation Line that is currently underway and would connect Tunney’s Pasture station with Blair station.
The western branch of the LRT would provide light rail service to Baseline station and could start construction as early as 2023.