The entry into service of the extension of the blue line of the metro is again postponed. Quebec and Ottawa have agreed on a joint project of no more than 6.4 billion, but it will be completed no later than 2029.
Quebec and Ottawa will share the bill. The government of François Legault is injecting at least $600 million to make the new section a reality once and for all. That of Justin Trudeau pays 1.3 billion.
The extension of the blue line has been in the cards for more than 40 years. The idea first launched at the end of the 1970s never materialized.
More recently, in 2018, the Liberal government of Philippe Couillard affirmed loud and clear that this time was the right one. However, four years later, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has only begun preparatory work along the section.
On paper, the extension differs little from the project presented in 2018. It will have five stations, as mentioned earlier, and will be 6 km long.
The new terminal station, in Anjou, has however been moved from the neighboring Galeries d’Anjou to land located under Highway 25. Access points will be provided to the east and west of the road section.
Put off by the anticipated costs of the project, the Minister responsible for the Metropolis, Chantal Rouleau, mandated an “action group” in 2019 to reduce the bill for the extension as much as possible. In total, the Société de transport de Montréal estimates that it can save approximately $1.1 billion thanks to various improvements. But the global economic context, marked by inflation and the cost of materials, is already pushing up the expected bill.
“I assure you that this time is the right one,” said the minister responsible for the Metropolis, Chantal Rouleau, as a line of ministers and prime ministers have done in recent years.
Further details will follow.