Summary#
Montréal city council adopted a decision authorizing an additional $3,400,000, taxes included, for Bruneau Électrique inc.’s contract to build sustainable-mobility corridors in Ville-Marie and Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. The goal, as described by city staff, is to finish the project in spring or summer 2026.
- The contract’s work budget rises from $7,999,999.99 to $11,399,999.99, taxes included. The project’s overall budget, including contingencies and other costs, rises from $10,225,310.99 to $13,625,311, taxes included.
- The work includes cycling paths, civil and electrical work, and traffic lights. The project includes rue Hochelaga, between rue Frontenac and avenue Desjardins, and rue du Havre, between rue Hochelaga and rue Ontario.
- City staff say the extra cost covers more extensive road rebuilding near Préfontaine and Joliette métro stations, plus three additional bus platforms on rue Hochelaga, requested by the STM for universal accessibility.
- The original contract followed a public call for tenders that received three bids. The materials do not say whether Bruneau Électrique’s bid was the lowest compliant bid.
What it means for you#
- People travelling in the area: The decision funds more work on the listed streets and near the métro stations. City staff expect the project to be completed in spring or summer 2026; the decision does not guarantee that timing.
- Taxpayers and the agglomeration: The city authorized the additional spending, and the decision summary says the contract’s expenses will be paid 100% by the agglomeration.
- Residents and businesses generally: The decision does not create a new benefit, fee, or rule for them. It authorizes extra spending on this existing construction contract.
Money#
The decision authorizes an extra $3,400,000, taxes included; no separate estimate of the project’s final cost beyond the revised budget is given.
- The revised total project budget is $13,625,311, taxes included. The existing contingency and other-cost budgets remain unchanged.
- The decision summary says up to $3,104,653.19, net of tax rebates, will be financed through the agglomeration borrowing bylaw RCG 24-034 Aménagements cyclables CG24 0602. It also says the net budget is available in the city’s 2026–2035 capital plan.
- City staff report no change to the fixed-price contracts for outside firms doing site supervision and materials quality control.
What is unclear#
- The resolution authorizes the additional spending. It does not state an exact new contract end date, though city staff describe the request as including an extension.
- The materials do not explain why soil tests and pavement core sampling were not done before construction, beyond saying they were not required before work began under the delivery schedule.
- The decision summary gives a financing amount net of tax rebates, but does not explain how any difference between that amount and the extra spending is covered.
Case for#
- The project was reported as 70% complete. Additional funding could allow the city to finish the work rather than leave the corridor incomplete.
- City staff say pavement conditions near the stations required much more rebuilding than expected, and the STM requested bus platforms for universal accessibility.
- Continuing the work could complete the planned cycling and street improvements. City staff say delaying the decision could prevent work near Joliette from being completed on the expected schedule.
Case against#
- The added work budget is a 43% increase over the original work budget; the overall project budget rises by about 33%. That is a substantial increase for one contract.
- The materials say the pavement conditions were not identified during tendering because sampling had not been done then. This raises a fair question about whether more investigation before construction could have reduced the need for extra spending.
- The decision does not provide a comparison with alternatives or explain the added work’s costs in more detail than the stated reasons and amounts.