Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel work to last until 2025

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Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel work to last until 2025 Back to video

Quebec Transport Minister François Bonnardel announced Thursday that the work will continue until the fall of 2025 and will cause major traffic disruptions to the South Shore.

“There’s 60-per-cent more deterioration to the tunnel than expected,” said Bonnardel, which is why the added repairs are necessary. “It’s not with a light heart that we’re making this announcement today. But we want to be as transparent as possible.”

The tunnel toward the South Shore will be closed in November 2022 for 18 months, following which the tunnel toward Montreal will be closed until 2025. During these closures, traffic in both directions will share the open tunnel, with two lanes toward Montreal and one lane toward the South Shore at all times.

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Junior transport minister Chantal Rouleau said they will try to help ease traffic problems during the work. The different public transport systems will be coming up with a plan to help traffic flow to and from the South Shore, added Rouleau.

Besides new bus routes, reserved bus lanes and parking lots already in place, the government will make four express buses linking those parking lots and the city free during the work, and improve service on other transit lines.

The exact date of when the work will begin in November has yet to be announced.

“Renovating an old road infrastructure is a bit like renovating an old house,” said Bonnardel. “Sometimes you have some unpleasant surprises and that’s what happened here.”

The work, which includes major structural repair, equipment modernization and adding fire safety equipment, is expected to keep the tunnel running for another 40 years before other major work is needed.

120,000 vehicles use the tunnel every day and 13 per cent are trucks transporting merchandise.