Public Notice

Repair and optimization of the railway bridge at Pie-IX entrance of the Port of Montreal – Public Comments Invited

March 22, 2024 – The authorities must determine whether the proposed Repair and optimization of the railway bridge at Pie-IX entrance of the Port of Montreal, located in at the southern end of the Pie-IX Boulevard, is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this determination, the authorities are inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments received will be considered public and may be posted online.

Written comments must be submitted by April 21, 2024 to:

Environmental and Aboriginal affairs - Québec region

Email: aea-eaa@tc.gc.ca

The Proposed Project

The Port of Montreal's Pie-IX rail bridge rehabilitation and optimization project is part of the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF) funding agreement between the Montreal Port Authority and Transport Canada.

The Pie-IX railway bridge is the main weak link in the Port of Montreal's rail network. The bridge accommodates three rail tracks, while the network to the east and west of the bridge has four and five tracks respectively. Some 75% of containers transiting by rail use this bridge. The project involves adding a fourth track to the railway bridge and building a storage area for railcars. In general terms, the work can be summarized as follows:

+ Replacement of the 3 existing rail decks;

+ Addition of a new rail track;

+ Demolition of the central pier;

+ Reinforcement and extension of existing abutments;

+ Construction of railway retaining walls to the south, along Route du Port;

+ Addition of three additional storage tracks, equipped with an end stop, located in the northeast quadrant;

+ Underground relocation of two overhead medium-voltage power lines;

+ Installation of new streetlights, a heated turnout system, plate readers and a variable message sign;

+ Relocation of the fiber optic overhead link to an underground installation;

+ Relocation of the fiber optic overhead link to an underground massif;

+ Replacement of the optical fiber.

The work area begins at the end of section 45 and extends to section 48, including a portion of the Sucre Lantic property opposite section 47 of the Port.

The work will be carried out from spring 2024 to autumn 2025.