Construction of the Royalmount megaproject’s famous pedestrian bridge, which has just begun on both sides of Montreal’s Décarie highway, is expected to cost twice as much as originally estimated.
Its construction could cost “nearly $40 million,” confided Claude Marcotte, vice president of Carbonleo and promoter of Quebec’s largest construction project, after that of the Metropolitan Express Network (REM), in an interview.
The footbridge’s maintenance costs, provided by the city of Mount Royal, could amount to “$400,000 a year,” according to documents consulted by Le Journal.
Heated and air conditioned
Faced with widespread abuse in 2015 over fears his project would wreak havoc on an already busy road sector, Carbonleo quickly committed to building a pedestrian link for public transport users.
“It’s a job that will be expensive, that’s true. Much more than the $20 or $25 million we originally estimated. But in our eyes we couldn’t help it,” says the Vice President and shareholder of Carbonleo.
The steel and glass footbridge, which can be heated in winter and air-conditioned in summer, facilitates access to the future commercial complex, which promises great luxury.
The 200 meter long structure will span the A-15 motorway between the De la Savane metro station east of Décarie and the second level of the future shopping center to the west. The developer expects it to be used by 10 million visitors a year.
It is ceded to Mont-Royal
The Department of Transport would have requested that the pedestrian bridge not be owned by a private company. It is therefore ceded to the City of Mount Royal, which is then responsible for its maintenance.
An agreement on the subject, dated October 2021 and obtained by Le Journal thanks to the law on access to information, provides that the project promoter “as long as the gateway is in place, the management costs, operation, maintenance, management and repair takes over and replacement of the pedestrian bridge”.
For the first five years, the project sponsor will pay the city $400,000 annually. This post could then be corrected downwards, Mr Marcotte suggests. “In the event of bankruptcy or insolvency of the organizer”, the 60-year contract should end automatically.