Calgary’s new Green Line boss talks about the challenges ahead

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No one asked him to do so, but the new CEO of Calgary’s Green Line gave his cell phone number during a local radio interview last month – a decision that caused a slight stir within the the city’s communications department, but who might endear him to Calgarians. hungry for information and reassurance that the beleaguered $4.9 billion megaproject isn’t floundering.

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“We’re building this project for Calgarians,” Darshpreet Bhatti, 42, said in a recent meeting with Postmedia.

“I know sometimes people are reluctant to give out their number. I’m not, because ultimately I have to be able to stand in front of the community and say what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.

Bhatti, who moved his family to Calgary in August after his appointment, takes the helm of a project that has endured multiple political trials over the past two years, including a provincial review that has resulted in major delays in the procurement and construction.

More than $680 million has already been spent on the $4.9 billion project, which could cost closer to around $5.5 billion or more, depending on the city’s borrowing costs.

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But the civil engineer and transport specialist doesn’t seem interested in questioning what happened before, and instead focuses on what’s next, in particular: identifying candidates for the private consortium of companies that will design and will build Phase 1 of the SLR. from Shepard to Eau Claire. A request for qualification (RFQ) could be issued this quarter, Bhatti said.

And while the project presents daunting technical challenges — namely, digging a tunnel “right in the heart of the city,” Bhatti said — the hardest part is avoiding delays that can stall and completely halt progress.

“I would say the biggest challenge with these projects is maintaining that momentum,” Bhatti said. “Because most projects of this magnitude, once they stall, you’re probably in the most difficult position you could ever have. It’s hard to relaunch something that big. »

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One of Bhatti’s biggest concerns is the veritable deluge of money that governments across North America have released for infrastructure projects, which is putting pressure on talent and expertise.

Bhatti estimates that Canada could see six major transportation projects start in the next year or so. These projects, including the Green Line, will compete for the same experts and construction companies that will also be in demand south of the border after the administration’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill is approved. Biden last November.

“It’s just too many projects. Canada has never had this kind of pipeline of projects,” Bhatti said. “It’s a positive thing for our country to have all these projects; at the same time, it is difficult for clients and cities like us to find the skills needed to carry out projects. »

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The size and financial risk associated with a megaproject like the Green Line has also created additional concerns about the types of companies that will be able to bid on the project.

Calgary’s construction industry has expressed frustration at the decision to consolidate Stage 1 of the line into two larger contracts, rather than three smaller ones – a move made last year at the urging of the province.

Under the previous phasing, a joint venture between Alberta construction companies Graham and PCL had qualified to bid on the segment of the line from Shepard to Ramsay. Although promoters have yet to be assessed under the new phase, there are concerns that Canadian companies may not be large enough to compete.

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“It is now highly unlikely, in its new bundled form, to match the risk profile of Canadian prime contractors,” said Bill Black of the Calgary Construction Association.

But Bhatti said some Canadian companies have done this kind of work – although only a large company or group of companies would be able to generate the funding needed for a project of this scale.

“The reality is that a lot of them are international conglomerates,” Bhatti said. “But at the end of the day, the work that needs to be done on the pitch should be done by the locals because they can’t bring that kind of labor with them.”

The Green Line will be the third major transportation project for Bhatti, who hails from the Greater Toronto Area where he spent most of his professional life and where he led the construction of the Metrolinx Hurontario LRT and transit system fast from the Waterloo region.

He said he was still familiarizing himself with Calgary, the politics and the way of life in Alberta, and hoped to perfect his winter sports.

“My ultimate goal is to help the City fulfill this mandate. It’s a big challenge and he will have even more challenges beyond what he had to face,” Bhatti said.

“I know it will be a marathon rather than a sprint. We just have to make sure we have good leadership.

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