CDPQ Infra delays contract decision for Montreal light-rail project

CDPQ Infra has extended through Jan. 31 the tender process for a proposed 41-mile light-rail system in Montreal.

The company will launch a "period of intensive discussions" with the qualified consortiums for the project's engineering and construction contract, CDPQ Infra officials said in a press release.

The company now expects to select the preferred consortium for the contract by mid-February. The selection was expected by November of this year, CBC News reported.

"From the start of the project, CDPQ Infra has based its work on two important principles: rigor and the pursuit of the best value for money," company officials said in the release. "In the last few weeks, it has analyzed the submissions for the project's two contracts."

For the engineering and construction contract, analyses have shown that additional discussions are required to achieve the best value, according to CDPQ Infra. As a result, the company has decided to launch discussions with the qualified consortiums for that contract.

However, proposals for the rolling stock and operations contract are in line with expectations and won't require additional discussions.

Construction of the CA$6 billion project is expected to start in spring 2018. Known as the Reseau Electrique Metropolitain, the 41-mile light-rail system would connect the Montreal region with the Montreal's downtown and airport.

CDPQ Infra announced the project in April 2016. Earlier this year, the Quebec government agreed to fund CA$1.28 billion of the project's cost.