Called to react following the public exit of the company Canam Ponts, the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTQ) is seeking to dot the i’s.
The spokesperson for the MTQ, Émilie Lord, explains that no provision linked to geographical origin in obtaining a contract is provided for by the public procurement liberalization agreements involved in the future island bridge project. from Orléans.
Whether in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union or in the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Government Procurement, it is not possible to impose a preferential clause for “purchasing Quebec or Canada,” it is explained in an email sent to SoleilThursday morning.
Indeed, the Quebec government wanted “as many companies as possible to participate in the project” in order to ensure “healthy competition during the call for tenders.”
“The market for Quebec companies with the expertise required for such projects is very limited. Even at the global level, the market for companies with the required expertise is limited,” adds the spokesperson, still in writing.
Welding or bolts?
Now, the selection of subcontractors is in the hands of Groupe Héritage Île d’Orléans (GHIO), the consortium selected for the design-build contract for the new 2.1 kilometer bridge.
The Dragados and EBC business duo is required to comply with all the technical requirements of the project on which its bid was based. “GHIO’s financial proposal therefore includes the costs related to the manufacture of the deck as provided for in the technical requirements, without any relief,” says Ms. Lord.
Although alternative concepts, including that of bolting preferred by Canam Ponts, were analyzed by the MTQ, they did not meet the requirements of the project, it was specified.
Simulation of the future Île d’Orléans bridge which includes a cable-stayed section of 900 meters in its center and a main span of 430 meters. (Ministry of transportation)
While the MTQ will be responsible for ensuring the maintenance and upkeep of the new bridge for the next 100 years, “firm vigilance on issues that could reduce the lifespan or durability of the structure” is required.
Durability is also one of the criteria that tipped the scales in favor of a welded structure.
“The bolts give more room for rust, which reduces the durability of the assembly and alters the visual appearance of the bridge.”
— Émilie Lord, spokesperson for the MTQ
“Larger welded sections mean fewer structural weaknesses. The maintenance costs of a welded assembly are lower than those of a bolted structure,” says Ms. Lord.
For his part, the leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec, Éric Duhaime, says he is worried to see “that we are putting clauses that ensure that we benefit foreigners to the detriment of local businesses.”
“The role of the government is to have the best infrastructure at the best cost. To set increasingly strict requirements, which reduce the number of people who can bid, is very problematic,” he added, during a press briefing, Thursday morning, before Parliament.
With the collaboration of Olivier Bossé
