(Quebec) The mayor of Quebec is confident that the Prime Minister “will not choke on his coffee” when he reads the business case for the tram, submitted by the City on Monday and which contains a final estimate of the most major infrastructure project in the history of the capital.
The streetcar was initially expected to cost $3.3 billion, then $3.9 billion. It is now accepted that it will cost more. The City of Quebec has just entrusted the Legault government with what it considers to be the final price of the project.
The mayor confirmed on Wednesday that he had submitted the business file at the start of the week. The document contains a wealth of information, including the delicate question of cost. “On the question of price, we have a range of prices estimated by experts from the project office,” said Mayor Bruno Marchand.
ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY ALSTOM
A model of the future Quebec tramway produced by Alstom, which will deliver the rolling stock.
“In light of material prices, in light of increases, in light of labor shortages… Here’s what we think is a reasonable range. After that, we’ll see how the consortia react and if they fall within that range. »
The business case is an essential step which should help the government to prepare the decree of the Council of Ministers for the tramway, a sort of government green light. In the financial arrangement at 3.3 billion, Quebec was to pay 1.8 billion and Ottawa 1.2 billion.
But a pandemic later and against a backdrop of runaway inflation, the project rose to 3.9 billion. Mayor Marchand has already said in an interview that the final bill will go beyond that.
The elected official did not want to reveal the “price range” indicated in the business file submitted to the government, for obvious reasons. The two consortia that will build the tramway infrastructure have not yet submitted their applications.
Mayor Marchand thinks that the range estimated by the City should not surprise Premier François Legault unduly.
No, he’s not going to choke on his coffee. He sure won’t choke on his coffee, because communications […] have been smooth, it does not happen like a hair in the soup.
Bruno Marchand, Mayor of Quebec
“I can confirm that it’s not 36,” he added, referring to the REM de l’Est in Montreal.
Bruno Marchand hastened to add that the consortia could submit proposals below the range estimated by the City, but also above.
“It can’t be at any price and then it doesn’t matter, we’re going to do this project,” he said. We’re going to do this project, now it’s up to the consortia if they want to do it, to give us the right price. »
The mayor indicated that the offers from the consortia would come on October 15. The government decree is expected for November.
The capital’s tramway project is to have 29 stations on a 19.3 km route. It must cross the city from east to west, and connect the Upper and Lower Town by a tunnel, with a few underground stations.