February 15, 2019

British Columbia government selects three bidding teams for Pattullo Bridge replacement

As reported in the Surrey Now-Leader, the province has selected three “pre-qualified” bidding teams to participate in the “competitive selection process” to design and construct the new toll-free Pattullo Bridge.

In a release from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the three bidding teams were announced as Fraser Community Connectors, Flatiron/Dragados/Carlson Pattulo JV and Fraser Crossing Partners.

Within each team, there is the respondent, the design-build contractor and the long-span bridge design contractor.

For Fraser Community Connectors, the respondent is Kiewit Canada Development Corp., the design-build contractor is Kiewit Infrastructure BC ULC and the long-span bridge design contractor is T.Y. Lin International and Bridge Technologies, Inc.

For Flatiron/Dragados/Carlson Pattullo JV, the respondent and design-build contractor is a joint venture of Flatiron Constructors Canada Limited, Dragados Canada Inc. and Carlson Construction Group, Inc. and the long-span bridge design contractor is COWI North America, Ltd.

Among the potential contractors for Fraser Crossing Partners is SNC-Lavalin. Acciona Infrastructure Canada Inc. and SNC-Lavalin Capital Inc. are the respondents. Acciona Infrastructure Canada Inc. and SNC-Lavalin Constructors (Pacific) Inc. are the design-build contractors. SNC-Lavalin Inc., Leonhardt, Andrä und Partner Beratende Ingenieure VBI AG, Hatch Corporation, EXP Services Inc. and Acciona Infrastructure Canada Inc. are the long-span bridge design contractors.

There are allegations that the Prime Minister’s Office pressured former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to help SNC-Lavalin avoid criminal prosecution.

The Globe and Mail reported that PMO aides leaned heavily on Wilson-Raybould to persuade the federal director of public prosecutions to negotiate a “remediation agreement” with SNC-Lavalin as a way of holding it to account for wrongdoing by some of its executives, rather than pursuing a criminal prosecution that could financially hobble the company.

SNC-Lavalin was charged in 2015 by the RCMP and openly called for a remediation agreement to avoid damaging the company, a major employer in Quebec. After lobbying by the company of government officials, including those in the PMO, the government included in its 2018 budget a Criminal Code amendment to allow such agreements to be negotiated in cases of corporate crime, as is done in the United States and the United Kingdom.

The $1.377-billion bridge replacement project, according to the release, “will provide improvements for everyone using the bridge and create thousands of jobs and opportunities for British Columbians.” The approved budget “represents” the full cost to complete the project, including procurement, project management, construction, removal of the existing bridge and interest during construction.

It is expected to open in 2023.

Keep reading in the Surrey Now-Leader

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