Van Horne-Rosemont overpass to be demolished and replaced

The city of Montreal will be launching a design and engineering contest as part of the demolition and replacement of the Van Horne-Rosemont overpass.

Lionel Perez who is in charge of infrastructure planning for the city made the announcement at a press conference Sunday afternoon.

The overpass has been in use since the 1970s and the city says the bridge is coming to the end of its life expectancy.

“Every year we proceed with inspections and following the inspection this year, we were at crossroads to make a decision,” Perez said.

“Are we to invest many millions of dollars to extend its life for a number of years or do we want to replace it for the next 75 years?”

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According to Perez, renovating the current bridge could cost up to $15 million and would only give the bridge 10 to 15 more years of use.

With those numbers in mind, the city opted to replace the viaduct.

Perez said the construction project will allow the city to make room for more active forms of transportation.

The new viaduct will have a design that will cater to cyclists and pedestrians.

Marc-André Gadoury, who is responsible for the city’s cycling dossier within the Coderre administration, said the bridge would allow to link to a cycling path that will go east to west, from Décarie to Lacordaire.

The work also includes plans for the refurbishment of a section of Rosemont Boulevard, between St-Denis and St-Hubert streets.

Estimates for the cost of the project are between $90 and $100 million, with taxpayers expected to foot part of the bill.

Perez said the estimated costs are inline with similar projects and believes a new bridge will breathe new life into the neighbourhood.

“I think that it’s going to be a truly spectacular project and that it’s going to reinvigorate the whole sector.”

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Perez is encouraging those who take part in the contest to think outside the box.

The exact timeline of the project is not set in stone.

The contest will be launched in 2017 and a winner is expected to be chosen in 2018, but it could take three to four years before any actual work takes place.

In the meantime city officials said they will continue to maintain the current overpass.

— With files from Matt Grillo