The TTC has entered into an agreement with Bechtel Canada Co. for no more than $80 million to manage the project to extend the 1 Yonge - University subway to York University and Vaughan.

The contract value to Bechtel includes staffing costs, management fees and incentives to open the subway extension by December 31, 2017. Bechtel staff started working today, Monday, April 13 and will form an integrated team with TTC personnel. The Bechtel contract expires March 31, 2018. Bechtel’s project director will report directly to the TTC’s Chief Executive Officer, Andy Byford.

At its Thursday, March 26 meeting, the Toronto Transit Commission — the TTC’s board of directors — approved a staff report recommending that the TTC enter into a sole-source agreement with a project management company. That company had to have a track record of delivering similar-sized projects on time and experience working with multiple contractors, so it could make sure that the subway is operating by the end of 2017.

Afterwards, Toronto City Council authorized the TTC to spend $90 million to hire a third-party contractor, while the Regional Municipality of York authorized it to spend another $60 million. The two municipalities have authorized a total expenditure of $150 million to fully deliver the subway.

According to its website, Bechtel “is one of the most respected global engineering,project management, and construction companies, and a cornerstone of innovation in the industry…” Since 1898, the company says, it’s “completed more than 25,000 extraordinary projects —- many first-of-a-kind —- in 160 countries on all seven continents serving the energy-delivery, defense, environmental-cleanup, mining and metals, oil, gas and chemicals, infrastructure and transportation and telecommunications industries.”

Bechtel Canada Co. “provides engineering, procurement, and construction services in Canada. It develops various projects, such as pipelines, various mines and mineral processing plants, oil and gas production facilities, refineries, petrochemical plants, hydroelectric installations, pulp and paper mills, and food processing plants. The company was founded in 1949 and is based in Montreal.”