Price for Big Pipe water in Corridor soars by $2.2M

Price for Big Pipe water in Corridor soars by $2.2M

CYNTHIA GAMBLE Staff Writer The price tag for expansion of the Big Pipe through the 401 Corridor has climbed by $2.2 million to $9.4 million. The Big Pipe brings water and wastewater servicing from Lake Ontario to service the 401 Corridor. In 2004, Halton Region agreed to extend the Pipe from Fifth Line South to Trafalgar Rd. for $7.2 million if the developers up-fronted the costs (and the Town of Halton Hills added a $1.5 million loan). However, after Halton Region staff bought the land for the pumping station and completed the design work for all the projects, the bottom line showed an additional $2.2 million was required. Part of the additional cost is attributed to the increased tunnelling required to minimize the environmental impact on the creeks as well as the increasing price tag of materials such as aluminium, steel and copper and the shortage of skilled labour. To pay for these costs, Halton Region will transfer $2 million from the Capital Investment Reserve and the landowners (developers) will kick in another $258,000. Under the original agreement, Halton Region would not pay any money towards this expansion until its $26 million commitment to the Pipe up to Fifth Line S. was paid for, and that the developers would be required to make up the total shortfall. But additional development charges revenues of $2.5 million that have been generated by construction from Milton West to Fifth Line South has enabled Halton Region to add some cash to the project. Based on the current schedule it's expected the 401 Corridor from Fifth Line South to Trafalgar Rd. will be fully serviced by early 2008. (Cynthia Gamble can be reached at cgamble@independentfreepress.com)