The City of Montreal's Executive Committee will award a $4.4 million contract to GHD Consultants on Wednesday morning to design the bridge.
IMAGE PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF MONTREAL / ATELIER ROBITAILLE THIFFAULT; The footbridge, which will be a segment of the planned Bicycle Express Network (REV) in the West Island, will also facilitate access to the future Great West Park, scheduled to open in 2030.
The contract also covers the design and construction of a new bus lane, lined with a multi-purpose track, to the Kirkland station of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM), in the right-of-way of Highway 440, which will never be extended.
The footbridge, which will be a segment of the planned Réseau express vélo (REV) in the West Island, will also facilitate access to the future Grand Parc de l'Ouest, scheduled to open in 2030, said Sophie Mauzerolle, who is responsible for transportation and mobility on the Executive Committee.
"This bridge will be a signature link that will allow us to decompartmentalize an area that is difficult to access," said Mauzerolle in an interview on Tuesday.
However, it will be necessary to wait until 2027 before being able to use this link.
On the other hand, the bus lane will be ready for 2024, when the western REM will begin operating. The Kirkland station of the REM will include a bus terminal, a drop-off area, and an area for cabs and bicycle racks.
The Ministère des Transports du Québec has owned land since the late 1970s that was to be used to extend Highway 440 in the West Island of Montreal to Highway 40. Since this project was abandoned, the land will be used for the construction of the bus lane and the pedestrian and bicycle path. The agreement with Quebec City will allow the City to occupy the Highway 440 right-of-way for park purposes for the next 50 years.
IMAGE PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF MONTREAL / ATELIER ROBITAILLE THIFFAULT
This dedicated lane will be 1.2 km long between Antoine-Faucon Street and Chemin Sainte-Marie, which will benefit residents of Kirkland and the borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro.
The Government of Quebec will provide partial funding for the construction of this transportation infrastructure.
The City of Montreal will unveil the next phases of the ASR later this fall. When the project was announced in 2019, 17 segments of this cycling network were announced. Five of these have been completed to date.
SOURCE: La Presse
