The three large firms contracted to build the Eglinton Crosstown LRT are suing the provincial transit authority, Metrolinx, for breach of contract over the original deadline for completion of the project. The companies, Aecon, EllisDon and SNC-Lavalin (Crosslinx), say circumstances have made it difficult, or impossible, for them to finish the LRT by the previously agreed deadline of 2021. Metrolinx has 30 days to respond to the notice of motion filed at the Ontario Superior Court. The contractors are saying that work by “utility companies” took longer than scheduled and that there were delays in the issuance of “permits, licenses and approvals.” In a statement provided to CP24 on Thursday, Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins said that the transit agency has been “working closely” with the Crosslinx consortium over the last several months “on their alleged reasons for a claim” but have not yet arrived at a solution. “As with any contract, claims are considered and reviewed thoroughly and we continue to work with Crosslinx to reach an outcome that fairly addresses the challenges that they have encountered on Eglinton,” she said. The Eglinton Crosstown had been scheduled for completion by 2020 which was later pushed back to September 2021.
