Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge reconstruction: Process to select winning bid to begin next month

The Ile aux Tourtes bridge over Lake of Two Mountains (Photo: Blanchardb, July 1, 2008, Creative Commons)

MONTREAL -

Quebec is set to begin the process to of reconstructing of the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge off the western tip of Montreal by finding a contractor or consortium to do the job.

The selection process will begin Oct. 25 with the launch of the call for qualifications, Transport Minister François Bonnardel and junior transport minister Chantal Rouleau announced on Monday.

The call for qualifications is the first in a two-step process to evaluate candidates’ technical and financial abilities in order to pre-select the strongest candidates. After the call for qualifications, interested firms and consortia will be invited to an information session to learn more about the project and the general terms and conditions of the contract. The government will award a contract to the winning bid after that second stage.

The chosen contractor or consortium would be responsible for the design, construction and financing of the bridge reconstruction project between Vaudreuil-Dorion and Senneville.

The future Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge will include three lanes of traffic in each direction, a two-way multi-use path and shoulders adapted for use by buses.

Domestic or international companies and consortia will have until Dec. 13, 2021 to submit their applications.

Some 87,000 people use the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge every day.

In May, an emergency closure shuttered the 56-year-old bridge after drilling work caused reinforcement bars to deteriorate.

Bonnardel said at the time the government was working to accelerate the construction of a new bridge that could open near the end of 2026.