Blue Line Extension: The STM Welcomes Government Commitment and Continues Work

Montréal, July 4, 2019 – The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) welcomes today’s commitment from the federal government to finance the extension of the Blue line and the renewed support of the provincial government. As principal contractor and manager of this large project that will help improve mobility in Montréal, the STM, with its project office, has already been working for months to complete the preliminary steps. The work is set to begin in 2021.

Since fall 2017, with involvement from the Ministère des Transports du Québec, the Société québécoise des infrastructures and the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain, the main activities carried out have aimed to optimize the project’s key parameters and analyze potential implementation methods as well as the master timetable, its budget framework and the phasing of its approvals. The project office’s work will intensify in the coming months in preparation for a business case approval in fall 2020, which should allow the work to begin in winter 2021 and commissioning to take place in fall 2026. Since January 2019 only, over 200 persons have contributed to the project office’s activities and resource mobilization is picking up pace.

Fieldwork
Area residents will be able to see STM teams in action this summer as they carry out fieldwork activities. In addition to surveying, the STM is currently conducting geotechnical tests along the corridor between Saint-Michel métro station and Highway 25 in Anjou. The purpose of these tests is to classify the rock in the targeted area as part of the collection of geotechnical data for the construction of the underground tunnel.  They will be conducted with seismic surveys and boring tests over the summer. The work has been planned to keep impacts to a minimum, and communication mechanisms are already in place.

Consultation with the area
As principal contractor, the STM is attentive to the area’s concerns and aims to advance the project while ensuring cooperation with stakeholders. Priorities identified include ensuring the urban integration of the project and the stations’ architectural design, coordinating work taking place on public property, and implementing effective mitigation measures during these processes. Committees have been formed to improve coordination between borough and city representatives. These include the Comité consultatif d’intégration architecturale, urbaine et patrimoniale, which brings together area experts to ensure the coordination of design decisions, and a multi-stakeholder  toponymic committee, which is working on name recommendations for the five additional stations on the extended Blue line. This fall, the STM will also implement consultation mechanisms with groups, associations and organizations in the area ahead of the public consultations in winter 2020.

Land acquisition and easements
Decisions concerning which lots to expropriate or acquire for temporary or permanent rights of way are based on project needs and take into account impacts on residents, businesses and others. At this stage, the expropriation process is already underway for 20 lots from 17 owners. Information meetings with tenants are set to take place this fall to help them better understand the process and their options. The procedures for the acquisition of public property and easements on public property are also well under way.

 
The STM project office’s work is therefore going smoothly and will accelerate over the coming months. The STM is known for the quality of its project management and its 52 years of experience as métro operator, manager and principal contractor and is committed to completing the project according to schedule.

Visuals

Fieldwork
(Photo credit : Julien Perron-Gagné)

Extension route

                                                 - 30 -

Source : medias@stm.info