Question Period Note: SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN BRIDGE CORRIDOR PROJECT

The Samuel De Champlain Bridge Corridor Project

• The Samuel De Champlain Bridge opened on July 1, 2019 and the multipurpose path for bikes and pedestrians opened on December 23, 2019. Other components of the project, including paving local roads and landscaping, are expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

• We continue to work with CDPQ Infra to build the Réseau express métropolitain project within the bridge’s dedicated transit corridor. This project will provide new public transit options for the Montreal region by connecting the South Shore to downtown Montreal.

• We’re also collaborating with our Private Partner to ensure that the bridge is operated efficiently to support ongoing trade and connections for users whether they are in cars, in public transit, on bikes or on foot.

• The Samuel De Champlain Bridge, a 3.4 km cable-stayed bridge, is one of the busiest bridges in the country and carries $20 billion in international trade per year, 11 million public transit users and 40 - 50 million vehicles per year.

• On June 19, 2015, a Project Agreement between the Government of Canada and Signature on the Saint-Laurent Group (SSLG) came into effect. This agreement covers the design, construction, financing, operation, maintenance and rehabilitation of the Project over a 34-year period (2015 – 2049) at a cost of $4.212 B, which includes an additional $235 million as per the settlement agreement announced on April 13, 2018.

• The Samuel De Champlain Bridge has three corridors: two for vehicular traffic and a central corridor dedicated exclusively to public transit, in which a light rail transit system, the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) is being built.

• While the Project Agreement called for the opening of the bridge in December 2018, the Project was delayed by several unforeseen situations including issues related to the transportation of oversized pieces, a crane operators strike in 2018, a general construction strike in 2017, and several weather-related events.

• The Project is currently in a “transition period,” which began following the opening of the Samuel De Champlain Bridge in Summer 2019. This period ends when the construction of the remainder of the corridor is complete, and all outstanding issues, including construction deficiencies and claims have been resolved.

• While these issues are resolved, operations-maintenance-rehabilitation (OMR) activities have commenced, bringing different Project Agreement requirements for the Private Partner to implement, and different oversight responsibilities for the Government of Canada to ensure Canadians continue getting the best value for money.

• The Project is managed through an integrated project team with Infrastructure Canada as the technical lead, Public Works and Procurement Canada as the contracting lead and Justice Canada providing legal support.

This note is identical to the note with the same title published after December 2020