The consortium responsible for the construction of the Eglinton Crosstown has agreed to “substantially complete” the project by September, 2022 as part of a legal settlement but the exact opening date for the new transit line still remains unclear.

The $5.5 billion project was slated to be completed in 2021 but the opening was pushed back due to repeated delays.

In October, 2020 Crosslinx Transit Solutions filed a lawsuit against Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario in which it argued that it should not be held responsible for delays and cost overruns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice then ruled in favour of Crosslinx in May, finding that the COVID-19 pandemic did constitute an emergency under the contract to build the line, paving the way for the terms to be renegotiated.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario jointly confirmed that they have now reached a $325 million settlement with Crosslinx to settle all outstanding claims. 

They say that as part of the settlement Crosslinx “has committed to substantially complete the project’s construction and systems scope by the end of September 2022.”

“The in-service date for passenger revenue services may be several months later and Metrolinx and TTC will continue to track CTS’s performance during 2022 to determine when the Eglinton Crosstown Line will open for passengers,” the statement notes.

In court documents, previously obtained by CP24, Crosslinx alleged that Metrolinx refused to recognize the pandemic as an emergency and was therefor able to “skirt their obligations to provide relief and assistance” while still requiring the consortium to comply with “additional and overriding procedures to protect public health.”

The consortium said in October, 2020 that it expected at least $134 million to be added to its costs due to pandemic-related impacts, though it is likely that number has since increased.

In its statement, Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario said that they continue to “strongly disagree with any finding of claim entitlement for COVID-19 causes” and are appealing the May decision by Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

But they said that they are “pleased to have reached a claims settlement agreement” that will prevent Crosslinx Transit Solutions “from making future claims on a variety of issues that are now considered fully settled.”

“These large transit projects are very complex with significant delivery and schedule risks that we continue to actively manage together with CTS. While challenging, the Eglinton Crosstown Line is both a hugely exciting and a very significant transit addition in the city,” the statement notes.