Billy Bishop pedestrian tunnel launched

Prime Minister Stephen Harper participated in a ceremony this morning (March 9) launching the construction of a pedestrian tunnel between the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and downtown Toronto. Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and Toronto Port Authority Chairman Mark McQueen also participated in the ceremony. “Our government is committed to building strong, prosperous communities that are engines of economic growth,”said Harper. “The construction of the pedestrian tunnel will create jobs in the Greater Toronto Area and help manage passenger flows to and from the airport.”The underground and underwater pedestrian tunnel will provide reliable, round-the-clock, all-weather access between the airport and downtown Toronto (foot of Bathurst St. at Eireann Quay) for the more than 1.5 million passengers who use the facility every year. The tunnel, which will complement the current ferry service to and from Toronto Island, is expected to take just over two years to complete. It is being built by a private sector consortium, Forum Infrastructure Partners, and will be largely funded through the Airport Improvement Fee.