(Quebec) The explosion of more than 45% of the bill to rebuild the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge is confirmed. The contract exceeds two billion dollars, according to the winning bidder. Preparatory work will begin on Monday.
The Press learned that Groupe Nouveau pont Île-aux-Tourtes won the call for tenders to replace the Autoroute 40 bridge that crosses Lac des Deux Montagnes, in the west of the city.
This consortium is made up of Roxboro Excavation, Construction Demathieu & Bard and Dragados Canada – a subsidiary of the Spanish construction giant ACS, which participated in the new Samuel-De Champlain bridge project, among others.
According to an internal communication from Roxboro Excavation that The Press obtained, “the New Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge Group was declared the tenderer having presented the lowest adjusted price for this call for tenders”. The company did not want to comment on this document dated February 7.
“We have completed negotiations with the government. We have received the official notice of selection and the contract will be concluded shortly.
Above all, we confirm the value of the work: “The contract is valued at more than two billion dollars. »
The Press revealed on Wednesday that the invoice would be around this sum. Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault refused to deny or confirm the information.
As required by procedure, Quebec has not disclosed the estimated cost of the project to date. He had authorized last year an expenditure of a maximum of 1.4 billion, according to our information. The cost of the project thus swells by more than 45%.
“There is overheating in the costs [de] all major projects”, including the new Île-aux-Tourtes bridge and the third link, said Infrastructure Minister Joanatan Julien on Wednesday. He thus let hover an increase in the bill for the Quebec-Lévis tunnel project. Prime Minister François Legault said during the election campaign that the 6.5 billion planned was a “maximum”.
Geneviève Guilbault did not want to grant an interview on Friday. It announced in a press release the start of preparatory work for the construction of the new bridge.
Preliminary activities
Beginning Feb. 27, crews will do “targeted” clearing, geotechnical drilling, and work related to moving utility equipment.
And still from Monday, “carpoolers (two people on board or more) and taxis will be able to use the reserved lanes which have been temporarily set up at the approaches to the current bridge as part of the repair work in progress”. Remember that due to maintenance work, one lane out of three is closed in each direction on the bridge.
In her statement, the Minister also indicates that the signing of the contract with the successful bidder to build the new bridge is expected this spring. “It is also at this time that the work schedule and the cost of the project can be specified,” she adds.
The new bridge will be built north of the current infrastructure, which will then be dismantled. In each direction, there will be three lanes of traffic for cars and trucks as well as a four-metre shoulder that can be used by buses. A “multipurpose track” of the same width will be provided for bicycles and pedestrians. The new bridge will be wider than the current one, by about ten meters.
Construction of the new bridge would begin in 2024. The commissioning would be “phased”, starting in September 2026 and ending in November 2029, according to the Ministry of Transport.
“Until the commissioning, the current bridge remains safe and the infrastructure is the subject of a maintenance program that includes inspections and repair work,” maintains Geneviève Guilbault. Since 2016, Quebec has spent $142 million to repair beams and slabs, among other things. It has reserved additional sums of 41 million this year and 193 million for the following years in order to carry out reinforcement work.