What to know
- The Ontario Line’s estimated cost has climbed to at least $34 billion, up from the original $10.9-billion estimate.
- The latest increase follows a $4.3-billion contract for the Pape and Cosburn stations.
- Metrolinx CEO Michael Lindsay says the final cost could rise further as remaining contracts are finalized.
- The 15.6-kilometre line will run from Exhibition Place to Don Mills Road, with construction expected to finish in the early 2030s.
As the province continues work on the Ontario Line, the cost of the massive transit project has nearly skyrocketed to $34 billion, more than triple the initial $10.9-billion price tag announced when the project first began.
The Ontario Line is the latest Metrolinx project to see its costs surge since construction began, with reports indicating the new total could now reach at least $34 billion.
The latest increase comes after Metrolinx awarded a $4.3-billion contract last week for the construction of Pape and Cosburn stations.
This is the second time the cost of the Ontario Line has increased this year. In June, a State of the Network report from Metrolinx revealed that the estimated price tag had jumped to $29 billion.
Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, Metrolinx CEO Michael Lindsay shared that the total cost of the project could climb even higher as the final contracts are still being finalized.
The Ontario Line is not the first Metrolinx project to see its projected cost rise dramatically.
Earlier this year, the long-delayed Eglinton Crosstown finally opened after years of construction, with the project’s total cost reaching nearly $12 billion, up from the roughly $4-billion price tag initially promised.
The three-stop Scarborough Subway Extension has also seen its projected cost increase by billions. The project was initially estimated at around $5 billion but is now expected to cost more than $10 billion.
The Ontario Line will stretch 15.6 kilometres from Exhibition Place through the heart of downtown Toronto and east toward Line 5 Eglinton at Don Mills Road. It will include 15 stations, with elevated stations planned for Riverside-Leslieville, Gerrard, Thorncliffe Park, Flemingdon Park and Don Valley.
Construction of the Ontario Line is expected to be completed in the early 2030s.
