Feds Set Funds in for New Champlain Bridge

MONTREAL – NEWS – TRANSPORTATION – “I am pleased to announce this important phase of the new bridge for the St. Lawrence corridor project-one that will ensure the bridge is built to last 125 years, will be a source of pride for the population, and will deliver value for money for Canadians,”stated The Honourable Denis Lebel – Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.

The Government of Canada today invited Signature on the St. Lawrence Group, Saint-Laurent Alliance (SLA) and St. Lawrence New Bridge Partnership to participate in a Request for Proposals (RFP), a major milestone for the new bridge for the St. Lawrence corridor project.

The RFP is the second stage of this competitive procurement process. It will result in the selection of a private-sector partner to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the new bridge for the St. Lawrence corridor, which will replace the Champlain Bridge.The RFP contains technical specifications with which the three consortia will have to comply to ensure that the new bridge is safe and reliable, has a 125-year design life and meets the needs of the population. They will also have to comply with the architectural requirements presented by Minister Lebel on June 27, 2014.

The Government of Canada will award a contract to the consortium that meets the technical requirements at the lowest cost to ensure the best value for Canadian taxpayers.

The project is on time, with construction set to begin in the summer of 2015. The Government of Canada is committed to having the new bridge for the St. Lawrence in service in 2018 and to having the remainder of the corridor project, including the reconstruction of Autoroute 15 and the new Île des Sœurs Bridge, completed by 2020.

An independent fairness monitor reviewed the Request for Qualifications for the new bridge for the St. Lawrence corridor project and attested it was a fair, open and transparent process.

Quick Facts

On October 5, 2011, the Government of Canada announced it will be building a new bridge for the St. Lawrence.
This project will create thousands of jobs and have a positive impact on the Canadian economy.