Montreal’s $345 million Metro line extension gets under way

The biggest construction project that got under way in Canada in March was the $345 million extension of the Montreal Metro Line 2 to Laval. Of the top 10 projects recorded by CanaData, the urban transit project was easily first. The second biggest project was also in Montreal: the Technopole-Montreal pavillon, part of the Universite de Montreal et Ecole Polytechnique, which is costing $48 million.
In total construction starts for the first quarter of 2002 CanaData recorded a decline of 23% in engineering and buildings compared to the same period last year.
Quebec premier Bernard Landry broke ground on the Montreal subway extension on March 18 at the future Montmorency station.
The expansion involves three new stations: one at Montmorency, and stations at de la Concorde (which will intersect with the Montreal/Blainville suburban train), and Cartier. The stations will have parking, including 3,000 places at Montmorency. Upon its completion scheduled for January 2006 the line is expected to carry 50,000 passengers.
A consortium called Groupement SGTM was hired to do the engineering, procurement and project management last year. The consortium consists of SNC-Lavalin, Tecsult, GMAT, Municonsult, Bisson & Associes, and Giasson et Farregut. The contract is worth $38 million. Over 60 project calls will be issued and the work will employ approximately 4,800 people.
M. Claude Dauphin of the Societe de transport de Montreal, one of the project’s owners, said the new construction marked an important stage in the history of the Metro since it was inaugurated in 1966. He also said the initiative shows that the Quebec government is committed to developing public transportation.
The province is funding the entire project, with various partners involved including the Agence metropolitaine de transport (AMT), the Societe de transport de Montreal (STM) and the Societe de transport de Laval.
www.amt.qc.ca/grandsprojets