The City of Montreal announced on Thursday that phase two of the construction work for Ontario Street Sewer pipe will start this fall.
The work is expected to extend the life of the infrastructure for another 50 years, after being built in 1862.
According to Maja Vodanovic, who is responsible for water for the city and on the executive committee, they plan to slip a new pipe into the existing one, while minimizing the excavation of the street and the impact it’ll have on residents and traffic.
“We gave a contract for that. It’s a very, very old sewer, and it will be refurbished. And we’re putting in a new pipe within the old pipe, and it’s supposed to last another 50 years,” said Vodanovic.
The city said this technique was used during phase one of the work, between Clark and Sanguinet streets, which allowed for a faster and less expensive construction project.
Phase two will fix 755 metres of the pipe between Kimberley and Clark Street and further east, between Sanguinet and Atateken.
The City of Montreal will also restore 400 metres of smaller-diameter sewer pipes and build five manholes.
“When our administration took office, we noticed a major delay in the maintenance of our infrastructure. It was important for us to readjust our focus by increasing investments and accelerating the pace of network maintenance,” said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante. “Despite the importance of reducing the impact of construction sites as much as possible, it is essential to continue to accelerate the adaptation of the territory, as well as the upgrading and maintenance of water networks.”
The cost of the work is estimated to be around $8.7 million.
They also plan to invest an average of $700 million annually in water infrastructure to reduce the number of water main breaks in half.
According to a press release, Montreal has more than 9,000 kilometres of underground water and sewer pipes throughout the city.
“The City of Montreal is also accelerating its capacity to retain surface water, with the creation of a network of sponge parks that will make it possible to retain, as of this year, the equivalent of six Olympic-sized swimming pools,” noted the press release.
The construction work will be completed in the spring of 2025.