February 22, 2008

Quebec to spend $12 billion on roads and bridges

IRWIN RAPOPORT

correspondent

The Quebec government has announced that it will spend $12 billion over the next four years to renovate, rebuild and construct new highways and bridges. This includes $2.7 billion to spend in the 2008 construction season.

“Unfortunately the network has been neglected over the years,” said provincial Transport Minister Julie Boulet.

The $12 billion investment is expected to result in the creation of 36,000 construction jobs.

The 2008 road budget, of which $403 million will be spent in Montreal and $803 million for nearby off-island projects, represents a $1 billion increase (57 per cent) over the 2007 budget.

For the 2009 and 2010 construction seasons, the ministry has allocated more than $3 billion. In 2011, $3.3 billion will be spent.

The goal of the spending is to raise the standards of the province’s infrastructure to match those in neighbouring American states.

“It’s a lot of money, something that has not been seen before because the task is enormous,” says Transport Quebec spokesman Mario St. Pierre.

“Every year, the network deteriorates and there is a need for more money to ensure that the speed of the improvements exceeds the deterioration. We also need to improve the rate of quality of our infrastructure in general and to ensure traffic flow and safety.”

In Montreal, $167 million will be spent for the renovation of existing structures, $32 million to repair the existing road network, $50 million to improve the network and another $152 million to further developit.

Some of the projects include the start of the work on the rebuilding of the Turcot Interchange and the refurbishment of existing overpass sections ($50 million), repairs to the Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Tunnel and the Galipeau and Mercier bridges, the redesign and overhaul of the Dorval Circle ($30 million), and the start of work on Notre Dame extension ($70 million), as well as work on Highway 25 (a $122 million bridge and road project) and Highway 13, a $111 million project to build a beltway on the South Shore to ease traffic on the Island of Montreal. Both of these projects are private-public partnerships.

The $12 billion jumpstart will set the stage for further repairs and rebuilding over the years, a priority that was made apparent with the collapse of the de la Concorde overpass that resulted in the deaths of five people.

Transport Quebec is keen to ensure that the construction program does not fall behind schedule. St. Pierre noted that the repair and rebuilding of highway infrastructure is a priority for many provinces and states, particularly those with structures that are 50 years old and which have to deal with freeze and thaw cycles on annual basis.

Asked whether such a large program could lead to higher construction costs above regular inflation for manpower and materials, St. Pierre replied: “Transport Quebec will look for the best prices at the time. We’ll have to adjust according to the market.”

Prior to the announcement, Transport Quebec has engaged in several emergency projects, including the rebuilding of the de la Concorde and nearby de Blois overpasses, as well as structural repairs to many of the 135 bridges that the Johnson Commission report stated as requiring emergency repairs.

The government recently announced that it is taking responsibility for overpasses and bridges that were previously under municipal jurisdiction.

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