Planning process

Year-round construction is necessary to build and maintain Peel’s sewers and roads.

Peel Region is responsible for the watermains and Regional roads within Peel. The construction phase of a project is the final stage of a planning process.

A project must complete 5 phases before construction begins.

Phase 1: The Environmental Assessment (EA) process

An environmental assessment (EA) is a study. EAs predict, identify, measure, and reduce how a project might affect the people, plants and animals living in a certain area.

EAs:

Are required by the Province of Ontario.
Make the Region accountable. They ensure that the construction we’re planning won’t harm the environment and surrounding area.
Are a public process. This means people who live and work in Peel can tell us how construction in a certain area might affect them.
Take (on average) 2 years to complete.

Phase 2: The detail design phase

During the detail design phase, the Region:

Designs major structures such as bridges, drainpipes or railway crossings.
Works with conservation authorities, municipalities, agencies (such as the Ontario Clean Water Agency) and utility companies (such as gas and hydro) to plan the physical design of a project.
Must complete 60% of the physical (detailed) design before determining how much property to buy.

The detail design phase can take up to 2 to 3 years to complete, depending on how complex a project is.

Phase 3: Property acquisition

An acquisition is the act of getting ownership or possession.

Property acquisition:

Starts when the Region identifies how much property is needed for the construction project.
Can include just part of a property or the whole property.
Can take 2 to 3 years to complete.

Phase 4: Utility relocation

Phone, hydro, gas and cable services in the construction area might need to be moved to complete a project.

If possible, utility relocation is completed before construction. When a utility relocation happens depends on how quickly the Region buys the land for the project.

Phase 5: Tender and contract award

A tender is a formal document that sets out the requirements of a construction project. The Region buys (procures) goods and services through tenders.

Contractors submit tenders for the work to be done. After evaluating all the tenders, the Region gives the job to the pre-qualified lowest bidder.

Contracts are usually awarded within 6 to 8 weeks from the time the tender is posted.

Construction begins

On average, a contractor starts construction 2 to 3 weeks after being awarded the contract. Construction can last from months to years depending on what’s involved.