What was once considered an engineering marvel, is now in need of a major makeover, just 45 years after it was built.
The Ville-Marie tunnel which was constructed to connect two major highways (the Decarie Expressway and the Louis-Hippolyte-Lafontaine Bridge-Tunnel) will undergo major renovations along with its neighbouring Viger Tunnel, built in 1986.
Transports Quebec says the project is expected to take 10 years to complete at a total cost of $2 billion.
“We expect that this project of 10 years renovation will make these tunnels last for another 40 years,” said Transports Quebec spokesperson Gilles Payer.
According to Payer, the construction won’t cause too many disruptions but the de la Montagne/Saint-Jacques Street exit on the Ville-Marie eastbound will close.
In addition to the work on the Ville-Marie and Viger tunnels, the Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Tunnel will be repaved. Meanwhile, Transports Québec is set to make repairs on eastbound Highway 40 between Anciens-Combattants and Morgan boulevards in the West Island, the Highway 13 overpass that crosses Highway 40 and the Dorval Circle.