(Quebec) Major upheaval in the Quebec tramway file: the last bidder still in the race to carry out the 19 km project has withdrawn. Mayor Marchand now wants his city to be the project manager for the project, which he thinks he can carry out for $8.4 billion.
“I asked that we end the call for proposals process on Tuesday,” said Bruno Marchand on Wednesday, who had been talking about “plan B” on which he was working for months.
On Friday, the last consortium still in the running to build the network, Mobilité de la Capitale, announced to the City that it was withdrawing. A previous consortium, Modernité, withdrew in the fall of 2022.
The City of Quebec is therefore setting in motion this famous “plan B”, namely being the project manager. Concretely, city hall will become the promoter of the tramway and will find construction firms for each element of the project.
This way of doing things could help reduce costs, according to Mr. Marchand. Tuesday, several media, including The Pressreported that the cost of the project had almost tripled, reaching 10 billion.
“It is likely that we are at 12, 13 billion. Why could the City achieve less than that? Because the City does not seek to make profits, because the City knows its territory…” indicated Bruno Marchand.
The ball is now in the court of François Legault’s government. Mayor Marchand notes that the federal government has committed $3 billion for the tramway project.
Prime Minister François Legault issued a warning on Monday: “One, it takes a reasonable cost. Two, the project may need to be adjusted so that it better meets the needs of the population. » “But all that, at the moment, is in the hands of Bruno Marchand,” he added.
This umpteenth turnaround comes at a time when support for the tram is at its lowest in the capital. The latest Léger poll revealed Friday showed 36% support.
But Bruno Marchand reiterated on Wednesday that according to him it was still the right project, when “the buses are saturated”. “This is an opportunity for the Legault government to demonstrate that it is committed to the development of Quebec City,” says Mr. Marchand.
Another novelty, the City now proposes to build the first phase of the tramway in three sequences: first from Legendre to Laval University, then secondly from the university to Saint-Roch (the most sensitive sector with its tunnel) , then finally from Saint-Roch to D’Estimauville.
More details to come.