Quebec opts for an overpass in Lebourgneuf

After considering different scenarios to reduce road congestion at the corner of Robert-Bourassa and Lebourgneuf boulevards, the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD) finally decided on the construction of a multi-level bridge, learned Radio-Canada.

The MTMD published in recent days a call for tenders for the preparation of a preliminary draft project for the redevelopment of this congested intersection, where more than 70,000 cars travel per day.

The invitation to tender includes the addition of lanes reserved for public transport on Robert-Bourassa and Lebourgneuf boulevards.

If the construction of a tunnel and the redevelopment of the road crossing on a single level were considered in the past, the option of the multi-level bridge was chosen.

This intersection will be layered and facilities for active transportation will also be planned.can we read in the quote accompanying the call for tenders.

The City is committed to active transportation

The idea of ​​making the infrastructure accessible to cyclists and pedestrians is a repeated request from the City of Quebec. THE MTMD assures, however, that this option would have been considered notwithstanding the Municipality’s request.

As part of its projects, the Department always remains sensitive to active transportation, but in the case of this specific project, the request comes from the City of Quebec which already manages an active transportation network (cycle path) in the sectorindicates Nicolas Vigneault, spokesperson for MTMD.

He adds that the decision whether or not to include facilities for cyclists and pedestrians will depend on their compatibility with the rest of the urban environment and safety requirements.

The reconfiguration of the sector still provides for the addition of lanes reserved for buses on Robert-Bourassa Boulevard, between Lebourgneuf and Bastien boulevards.

Shared responsibility

The section going from Boulevard Lebourgneuf to Avenue Chauveau will be the responsibility of the MTMDwhile the one going from Chauveau to Bastien will fall under the jurisdiction of the City of Quebec.

The extension of the existing reserved lanes on Boulevard Lebourgneuf to Rue Gertrude-Roy is also in the works.

The addition of reserved lanes on Robert-Bourassa and Lebourgneuf boulevards as envisaged by MTMD involves the widening of roadways. The removal of current traffic lanes in order to create lanes reserved for buses is not one of the scenarios on the table.

However, the details and configuration of the developments remain to be defined at this stage of the project, specifies Nicolas Vigneault. The preliminary draft will also make it possible to refine certain hypotheses, in particular on their technical feasibility while of course taking into account the mobility needs of the sector, both for road users and public transport.

Extension under study

The mandate covered by the call for tenders from MTMD also includes evaluating the feasibility of extending the existing reserved lane on the Robert-Bourassa highway, northbound, to the Félix-Leclerc highway.

Currently, the reserved lane ends approximately at Boulevard Père-Lelièvre.

The timelines for the construction of the interchange and the addition of reserved lanes will not be known until the planning stage is complete. In order not to interfere with the call for tenders process which will relate to the completion of the work, the Ministry is not revealing its cost estimates.

The MTMD entrusted the project to the Department of Major Projects of the Quebec Metropolitan Region, which leads us to believe that the estimated cost of the work is more than $100 million.

A request from Labeaume

In 2018, the former mayor of Quebec, Régis Labeaume, called for MTMD the construction, at its own expense, of an overpass above Robert-Bourassa Boulevard.

The mayor estimated that such infrastructure would solve 80% of traffic problems in the area.

For people traveling on Lebourgneuf, they will cut the wait in half, because half of the traffic lights will disappear. Robert-Bourassa’s cars will pass below Lebourgneuf. Traffic will be drastically transformedhe predicted.

Régis Labeaume estimated the construction costs of a stepped bridge at between $40 and $50 million.

Serving the suburbs

In 2021, the Legault government announced a plan to serve the suburbs valued at $844 million.

This provided for the development of 100 km of reserved lanes on the main highways of Quebec and some arteries of the municipal network.

It included a section located on the Robert-Bourassa highway/boulevard, between the Félix-Leclerc highway and Bastien boulevard.

Serving the suburbs was one of the components of the capital’s express network, just like the tramway project and that of the third link.