Economic Action Plan 2013 proposes to provide up to $124.9 million to build a bridge-causeway between Nuns Island and the Island of Montreal.
The Champlain Bridge is the busiest crossing in Canada. It provides an essential link for local commuters, and for businesses getting their goods to the marketplace. The Government has announced that it will build a new bridge over the St. Lawrence River to replace the Champlain Bridge and associated infrastructure. The environmental assessment process was launched in 2012 and consultations with partners and stakeholders are ongoing. In addition, contracts have been awarded to advance preparatory work supporting the procurement process. Delivering this project on time and on budget will be critical to ensuring that users can benefit from state-of-the-art, durable and affordable bridge corridor assets. The New Bridge for the St. Lawrence will provide lasting economic benefits to the municipalities on each side of the river and more broadly to the region as a whole.
Economic Action Plan 2013 proposes to provide up to $124.9 million to build a bridge-causeway to ensure the safety of commuters between Nuns Island and the Island of Montreal during the construction of the New Bridge for the St. Lawrence.
Under Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the Government plans to build a new bridge to replace the Champlain Bridge connecting the Island of Montreal and the South Shore of the St. Lawrence River. In Budget 2011, the Government allocated $19 million in preparation for the planning for this replacement.
With an estimated $20 billion in international trade crossing the Champlain Bridge annually, it is the busiest bridge for cars, trucks and trains in the entire Canadian road network and is vital to the regional and national economies.
It is anticipated that the new bridge will be operational in 2021-2022.
About the Initiative
The project involves many steps, including an environmental assessment, a financial analysis and design work.
In January 2012, the federal government launched the environmental assessment phase and is working closely with key stakeholders, such as the Government of Québec and municipalities in the Montreal area.
In May 2012, the Government launched a call for proposals to prepare a business case with a mandate that includes studies on traffic and revenue, as well as preliminary engineering work. The business case would provide the basis for a potential decision on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and tolls.
On April 23, 2012 the Government of Canada announced that the Dessau|Cima+ consortium of Montreal was selected to complete the federal environmental assessment of the new bridge for the St. Lawrence. The assessment will consist of environmental and technical components required to formulate recommendations for minimizing the project's impact on the environment and community. The public, local advisory boards, the private sector and community groups will have the opportunity to participate in the environmental assessment process, which should be completed in January 2014.
On July 25, 2012, the Government of Canada awarded the contract to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to prepare the business case for the new bridge for the St. Lawrence. It is anticipated that the business case will be completed by December 2013.
Initiative Update
Planning work for the replacement of the existing Champlain Bridge is under way. The initiative is now in its second year and the work is being performed within the established timelines.
Find Out More
For more information, please visit the New Bridge for the St. Lawrence Web site.