Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has announced that construction of the Montreal Metro’s Blue Line extension will begin in the coming months.
Excavation work for the tunnel boring machine is set to start by the end of September, with roadwork on Jean-Talon at the Pie-IX and Viau intersections following. Site preparation for Langelier station will also start this fall, with additional construction activities scheduled throughout 2025.
A 1.1-billion contract was awarded to Mobilité Bleu Horizon S.E.N.C., and work will include tunnel construction, station excavation, and auxiliary structures. The tunnel boring machine is expected to be operational from 2025 to 2028, marking a major milestone for the project.
Mobilité Bleu Horizon is a consortium consisting of Pomerleau, EBC, and Spie Batignolles.
“We are pleased to begin this sustainable mobility project that is part of the socio-economic development of eastern Montreal. Our experience on major projects such as the REM, the Surrey Langley SkyTrain stations in British Columbia, and the renovation of the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel in Montreal, demonstrates our ability to undertake increasingly complex projects across the country,” said Philippe Adam, chairman and CEO of Pomerleau.
The project office recently submitted an updated business case to the Cabinet, which includes revised planning and costing. This has led to a more detailed understanding of the project’s schedule and risks. The updated plan aims for the Blue Line extension to be operational by 2031, with a total estimated cost of $7.576 billion.
“We are very proud to contribute to the extension of the Montreal blue line thanks to our expertise in managing major transport infrastructure projects in Europe such as those of Grand Paris, in which Spie Batignolles was a major player, or that of Lyon Turin Ferroviaire and more recently that of the red line of the Lisbon metro,” said Jean-Charles Robin, president of Spie Batignolles.