Project name |
New Bridge for the St. Lawrence Corridor Project (New Champlain Bridge Corridor Project) |
Description |
The New Champlain Bridge Corridor (NCBC) Project includes the replacement of the Champlain and L'Île–des–Soeurs bridges with a 3.4 kilometres bridge. The Project will widen the federally owned portion of Highway 15 to a six–lane capacity. The NCBC Project is being delivered as a public–private partnership (P3). |
Project outcomes |
- Maintain the safety and efficiency of the Corridor;
- Foster sustainable development and urban integration within the Montreal area;
- Improve the flow of people and goods in the Montreal area;
- Improve the safety of users through modern design aspects;
- Design and construct the new Champlain Bridge and Ile des Soeurs Bridge with 125 Year Life Expectancies;
- Design and construct a public transit corridor and highway 15 that meet engineering standards;
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Industrial benefits |
The NCBC Project will foster economic growth by improving connections across road systems and ensuring the continuous and safe flow of people and goods. The project is a crucial corridor for the regional economy and for Canada as a whole. The existing Champlain Bridge is one of the busiest bridges in Canada with traffic estimated at over 40 million vehicles per year. It is a major Canada–United States trade corridor, handling $20 billion of international trade and 11 million transit commuters per year.
In addition to ensuring the safety of users, replacing the existing infrastructures and widening Highway 15 will mitigate disruptions to the trade corridor and will improve the flow of traffic. |
Sponsoring department |
Infrastructure Canada |
Contracting authority |
Public Services and Procurement Canada |
Participating departments |
Public Services and Procurement Canada, Justice Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada |
Prime contractors |
Private Partner
Signature on the St. Lawrence Group
1400–1501 McGill College
Montreal, QC H3A 3M8
Technical Advisor – Owner's Engineer
Arup Canada Inc.
600 Boulevard de Maisonneuve West, Office 750
Montréal, QC H3A 3J2 |
Major subcontractors |
Independent Engineer
Stantec & Ramboll
300–1080 Beaver Hall Hill
Montréal, QC, H2Z 1S8 |
Project phase |
In 2018–2019, the Private Partner will advance the construction of the project. The project team will oversee the construction and manage agreements with external entities. |
Major milestones |
- Environmental assessment complete: October 2013
- Launch of the procurement process – Request for Qualifications: March 2014
- Beginning of acquisition of land: June 2014
- Announcement of the definition design for the New Champlain Bridge: June 2014
- Announcement of the three consortia invited to participate in the Request for Proposals process: July 2014
- Announcement of the Preferred Proponent and beginning of the Early Work Agreement: April 2015
- Signature of Project Agreement with the Private Partner and beginning of construction: June 2015
- Negotiations begin to move forward on toll–free bridge: November 2015
- Negotiation of agreements with external entities: Ongoing
- Scheduled completion of the construction of the New Champlain Bridge: December 2018
- Scheduled completion of the construction of the Corridor: October 2019
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Progress report and explanation of variances |
- Necessary authorities were provided in December 2013, April 2014, February 2015 and June 2015 to carry out the NCBC project.
- Budget 2014 supported the NCBC project by providing $165 million over a period of two years, in order to take on the preparatory work required for the project. Subsequent approval for expenditure authority was provided.
- The construction cost for Canada was estimated at between $3 billion and $5 billion. In 2015, the Government of Canada confirmed that the project cost was of $4.239 billion.
- In April 2014, approval was provided to begin the acquisition of properties, as required for the Project.
- In June 2015, the Government of Canada entered into a 34 year contractual agreement with a private partner, Signature on the Saint– Lawrence Group. The Private Partner is responsible for carrying out the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance work for the project.
- The P3 procurement model is being successfully implemented and construction is progressing.
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