The Toronto Port Authority (TPA) owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport located at the foot of Bathurst Street. Currently, passengers must take a ferry between the mainland and the island on which the airport is situated.

In March 2012, the TPA entered an agreement that follows a public private partnership model to build a pedestrian tunnel and improve access to and from the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

In addition to facilitating pedestrian movement to and from the airport, the tunnel will carry City of Toronto water and sewage mains.

In March 2012, construction began on an underwater pedestrian tunnel that will link Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to the mainland. The project will provide a predictable, efficient and convenient access route for the airport’s users. Tunnel construction will take 25 months to complete.

The pedestrian tunnel will feature a modern, mechanized underground walkway and will be powered by 100 per cent green energy supplied by Bullfrog Power Inc. To provide access to the pedestrian tunnel, a brand new pavilion will be constructed on the mainland while an extension will be added to the airport terminal building on the island side.

As part of a term sheet approved by Toronto City Council in July 2011, the pedestrian tunnel will carry water and sewage mains that will serve Toronto Island. Under this agreement, the Port Authority designed the tunnel to accommodate the mains saving taxpayers in excess of $10 million.

The pedestrian tunnel project will be completed through an innovative public private partnership model. Under this model, a private sector consortium, Forum Infrastructure Partners, oversees the design, construction and operation of the tunnel and ensures that the project will be on-time and on-budget. The project is being financed by the private sector and will be paid for by departing passengers via the existing Airport Improvement Fee.