“The project is progressing well. I don’t know, but maybe there will be a summons announced today [pour le tramway]. I say that through my Christmas hat,” mentioned the mayor of Quebec, Bruno Marchand, Sunday morning, while he was dressed up for the Santa race.
Less than an hour later, the government invited the media for an “important announcement concerning the Quebec tramway project.”
The mayor will be accompanied by the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Geneviève Guilbault, the Minister responsible for Infrastructure and Minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region, Jonatan Julien, as well as the President and CEO of CDPQ Infra , Jean-Marc Arbaud.
A source familiar with the matter revealed to Soleil the name of the tram before it is officially announced on Monday.
The government of Quebec and the new project manager of the tramway, CDPQ Infra, had set a deadline of December 15 for the signing of the agreement on phase 1 of the tramway in the CITÉ plan.
Quebec tramway network, according to CDPQ Infra plans. The purple line represents phase 1 of the CITÉ plan. (CDPQ Infra)
This first line, characterized as the backbone of the megaproject, extends from Avenue Le Gendre to Charlesbourg, via Sainte-Foy, Old Quebec, Saint-Roch and Limoilou.
The cost for the first part of the tramway is estimated at $5.27 billion, according to CPDQ Infra. It should assume between 20 and 30% of this amount, while the final proportions of the contributions from Quebec, Ottawa and Quebec City have yet to be revealed.
Bruno Marchand, however, affirmed on Thursday that the municipality would not exceed the ability to pay citizens to finance this project.
The commissioning of the tram is planned for 2030.
– With the collaboration of Émilie Pelletier
