Montreal, 4 June 2004 – The STM Board of Directors has awarded a contract for some $4 million to Céleb Construction Ltée to expand its track maintenance shop located at the corner of Henri-Julien and Legendre. Construction work, carried out from mid-June 2004 to the end of March 2005, will allow the STM to include, among others, an additional track for rail-born service vehicles that will handle maintenance for the three new Laval stations.

For Pierre Lapointe, STM board member and Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough councillor who was closely involved in this dossier, "This is welcome news for residents living close to the maintenance shop, because the work area to expand the building will be entirely closed in, which will considerably reduce the noise generated by the many trucks coming and going. According to the timetable provided by the contractor, the work required to close off the site should be completed by November 5."

Residents should note that construction work will be carried out in three main phases: the first and most complex will consist in driving stakes 15 to 20 feet into the ground ; this will take three weeks, from June 15 to July 7. Later, the steel structure will be built in September, followed by the concrete being poured in early October. During these two phases, residents can expect higher noise levels and truck circulation. Outdoor construction work will end by November 5, while the expansion work inside should be finished by March 21, 2005.

The STM has taken steps to minimize the impact on residents and to ensure the work schedule is upheld, as most work should be carried out weekdays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Exceptionally, some construction will occur on weekends. The STM apologizes for the upcoming inconvenience caused by the construction site and thanks residents for their understanding.