Evergreen Line delays causes financial pain for contractor

WATCH: There are more questions tonight about the planned completion date of the Evergreen SkyTrain line. Ted Chernecki reports.

The completion date of the long-awaited Evergreen Line that will connect Port Moody and Coquitlam has already been pushed back, causing the spectre of short-term financial loss for many companies involved.

The Evergreen Line opening has been delayed until fall, 2016. It was originally scheduled to open in the summer, 2016.

“A lot of the rail and the stations are well advanced. You can already see the testing and commissioning happening between Lougheed and Coquitlam station,” says Amanda Farrell, Evergreen Line Project Director.

And while it’s true that the above-ground portion is over 70 per cent completed, possible delays hangs mostly on the progress of the two-kilometre tunnel, which has been plagued by problems.

Four sink holes have opened up in the construction area since last October, prompting Tri-Cities residents to voice their concerns at a public meeting. People living in Coquitlam are worried the boring of the tunnel is compromising soil integrity and could lead to more sinkholes or damage to their property.

“What’s causing the problem is some ground condition challenges that they have,” says Amanda Farrell, Evergreen Line Project Director. “Not when they are boring the tunnel itself, but when they stop to maintain the tunnel-boring machine. They need to get into the machine to do work, change tools and they have experienced difficulty with the stability of the ground.”

Global News has learned that the two-kilometer tunnel is only 52 per cent complete. However, it is still on budget for $1.4 billion.

Many companies involved in the project have already completed their work, but they may have to wait to get paid.

In its second quarterly financial statement, SNC Lavalin, one of the main companies building the line, said its financial losses were due to the delays.

With files from Ted Chernecki and Paula Baker