The City of Montreal wants to move ahead with a project to cover a one kilometre section of the Ville Marie Expressway.
Mayor Denis Coderre announced on Friday that one of his chief opponents, Projet Montreal leader Richard Bergeron, would be in charge of the project.
Coderre and Bergeron said the plan is to create a new urban space that would better connect the downtown core with Old Montreal, and to do it quickly.
Coderre wants to see the work completed in time for Montreal's 375th anniversary celebrations in 2017.
However the space in question, from St. Urbain St. to Sanguinet St., is the territory of the provincial government and any work would need the cooperation of Transport Quebec.
One hour after Coderre and Bergeron made their announcement, an aide to Transport Minister Sylvain Gaudreault said the provincial government did not like the plan.
Apparently Transport Quebec says any plan would be too expensive, saying it would cost $500 million just to cover 125 metres from Sanguinet St. to Hotel de Ville -- money the province does not have.
Bergeron had proposed covering the urban highway during the election campaign last year, saying the highway was a blight that divided the city, and that the citizens of Montreal should take back the space.
One local engineer told CTV Montreal that the numbers might not justify the work.
“It's going to be a large tunnel and it's going to cost us when we're trying to cut costs,” said Johnny Safi.
But a former Montreal Executive Committee member said that building the roof would do much good.
“The land potential is extraordinary in that part of the city and also it would repair one of the major urban planning mistakes that the city has made in the past 40 years,” said Robert Libman.
A feasbility study drawn from a decade ago pegged the price of the work at about $200 million.
Mayor Coderre declined to offer an updated estimate Friday and appeared undeterred by skepticism.
"You know, it's Friday and we need some hope here," he said.
