The City of Montreal plans to spend $4.5 billion on infrastructure over the next three years, a $700 million increase over what was announced last year by interim mayor Laurent Blanchard.
Three quarters of the expenditures will be on repairs and upgrades, while the remaining 27 percent will go toward new infrastructure.
The biggest single cost will be a 30 percent increase in the road repair budget, for a total of $1.4 billion by 2017.
That will include $74 million for work on the Bonaventure Expressway, major renovations to Papineau Blvd. near Cremazie Ave., and substantial work on Ste. Catherine St. between Bleury and Mansfield.
The amount spent on waterworks will remain about the same, at just over $1 billion.
Tourist attractions will get more money as well, as Montreal prepares for an influx of tourists on its 375th anniversary in 2017.
The Biodome will get another greenhouse and other refurbishments for a cost of $24 million, while $17 million will be devoted to the Insectarium.
Mayor Denis Coderre said the spending increases will be feasible while limiting tax increases to the cost of living.
He also pointed out that of the money earmarked in 2013 for capital works, only 39 percent was actually spent for reasons that have yet to be determined.
It is known that in some cases projects were delayed because contractors were refused permission to work by Quebec's Financial Authority.
Read more details (pdf, French) about the borough-by-borough breakdown.
