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Yesterday, the government of British Columbia announced it selected SNC-Lavalin Inc. as the preferred contractor to work with to finalize an agreement to design, build and finance the Evergreen Line light-rail project.

SNC-Lavalin's team includes SNC-Lavalin Inc., Graham Building Services (joint venture), International Bridge Technologies Inc., Jacobs Associates Canada Corp., Rizzani de Eccher Inc., S.E.L.I. Canada Inc., SNC-Lavalin Constructors (Pacific) Inc., SNC-Lavalin Constructors (Western) Inc. and MMM Group Ltd.

The province had received proposals from interested firms, which were analyzed by leading experts in rapid transit systems design and construction, construction traffic management, finance, environment, engineering and other technical areas, provincial officials said in a prepared statement.

The seven-mile Evergreen Line will link Burnaby, Port Moody and Coquitlam via light-rail service. The project includes elevated and at-grade guideways, a 1.2-mile bored tunnel, seven stations, power substations, train operating systems, parking facilities, and a vehicle storage and light maintenance facility.

The Evergreen Line will integrate with the SkyTrain system, link directly to the Millennium Line, and provide connections to the Expo Line, Canada Line, West Coast Express and regional bus networks.

The $1.4 billion project will be funded by the federal and British Columbia governments, and TransLink. The provincial government will oversee construction of the project and TransLink will operate the Evergreen Line after it's completed in summer 2016. Major construction work is slated to begin in late fall after the contract is signed, provincial officials said.