The Ministry of Transportation in Canada has initiated construction work on the Mississauga Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor in the province of Ontario.

The BRT project, worth $259m, will receive funds from the Province of Ontario, the federal government and the city of Mississauga.

Ontario has already allotted $65m for the Mississauga BRT and is contributing another $48m.

The project includes building an 18km bus way between Winston Churchill Boulevard and Renforth Drive with 12 new stations along the route, accompanied with one existing station, which will be incorporated into the busway.

The BRT system, expected to be completed by 2013, aims to improve local and inter-regional bus operations in the city, as well as reduce travel times and vehicle emissions by diverting commuters from automobiles to transit.