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Earlier this week, city of Ottawa officials received submissions from three teams to design, build, finance and maintain the Ottawa Light Rail Transit (OLRT) project in Ontario, Canada.

Proposals were submitted by Ottawa Transit Partners, led by Vinci Concessions; Rideau Transit Group, led by ACS Infrastructure Canada; and Rideau Transit Partners, led by Bouygues Travaux Publics.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson described the bids as an "important milestone" in the effort to bring light rail to the city.

"[The] council is looking forward to awarding the contract later this year and getting shovels in the ground in 2013," he said in a prepared statement.

Each of the three teams was prequalified to submit proposals after an initial request for qualifications was completed in October 2011. Collectively, the firms have built more than $100 billion worth of light-rail projects throughout the world.

City and Infrastructure Ontario officials will evaluate the submitted proposals and recommend a "preferred proponent" along with their design, cost and schedule to the City Council for approval by the year’s end. Project construction is expected to begin in early 2013 and the system is expected to begin full revenue service in spring 2018.