MONTREAL — After two years of construction, the Port of Montreal has officially opened its new overpass over Notre-Dame Street East in the Viau sector.
The new infrastructure will improve the efficiency of freight transport and remove 1,500 trucks a day from the local road network, stated a release.
Providing a direct connection between bulk and container terminals, the new overpass will enable trucks leaving the Port of Montreal to take Dickson Street then Souligny Avenue directly to Highway 25.
Begun in June 2021, the overpass cost $47.8 million. The port authority received $6.7 million in financial support from the Quebec government for the construction and rehabilitation of marine infrastructure. The federal government contributed $7.7 million through the National Infrastructure Component of the New Building Canada Fund.
Among sustainability goals, the port said the new infrastructure was designed to ensure efficient rainwater management with drainage channels. Recycled glass was integrated into a number of concrete components, and lighting was installed in compliance with International Dark-Sky Association standards.
The overpass is accessible to trucks via the port’s temporary road to Dickson Street. This temporary road will be removed once the extension of Assomption Boulevard and Souligny Avenue have been completed.
“The Port of Montreal’s new overpass meets ambitious objectives not only in terms of operational efficiency, but also how we cohabit with neighbouring communities. It will make it possible to streamline the flow of goods, while blending harmoniously into the urban landscape and presenting a sleek design,” said David D’Amboise, the port authority’s vice-president of asset management, in a statement.