Bellechasse bus garage

Progress report

In December, the team finished replacing the water main and storm drain on Saint‑Dominique Street. The rainwater retention pond on Marmier Street and the hookups to city utilities on Bellechasse Street are also complete.

There is still some surface-level work to be done in spring and summer 2024. This will involve building sidewalks, paving the street and installing lamp posts.

Work on the bus garage will be completed in the fall of 2024, including the landscaping for a green roof. The equipment inside the bus garage will be commissioned in stages starting in summer 2024 and will pick up speed once the construction work is completed.

Bus traffic

The traffic flow plan for buses has been established. Once the garage is in operation, buses will circulate as follows:

Most bus traffic will be routed along De Gaspé Avenue, between Marmier and Bellechasse, as this is where the garage doors are located. Buses will not use the residential streets north of Bellechasse to get to and from the garage.

However, in the event of an exceptional situation (e.g., breakdown of doors on De Gaspé), buses will need to enter and exit on Saint‑Dominique. Buses would then be rerouted onto Bellechasse or Saint‑Laurent, but still nowhere north of Bellechasse.

Latest news - September 2023

We are making good progress. Construction is about 80% complete, and we still expect to finish all major work and the outer envelope next summer. Here’s what we’ve accomplished so far on this mass-scale project.

The building

We are still putting up curtain walls (glass panels) all around the building, and the outer envelope should be fully closed by winter. We are also doing architectural finishing work on the exterior. By November 2023, we will have installed winter protective covers over areas that will be completed in 2024.

On Saint-Dominique Street

Work will continue throughout the fall on the Saint-Dominique and Marmier side of the site. Jobs to be done include replacing a water main and a storm drain, which will require a good deal of machinery. This step should be completed by November.

To finish the work before temperatures drop and winter arrives, we need to step up our pace and add work days on Saturdays between now and December. Work will begin at 7 a.m. We understand the impact that this has on neighbourhood noise levels and are taking all necessary steps to mitigate it.

Landscaping

Next spring, we will finally be able to complete the large green space that will be visible from Bellechasse Street. Many different species will be planted to promote biodiversity.

During work on the Bellechasse bus garage, we discovered that the rock was not in the condition we had anticipated, despite the tests carried out before the work. This discovery meant that additional rock reconstruction and consolidation work was required to allow the construction of the building according to the planned design.

During this reconstruction and consolidation in June 2022, we detected problems with the integrity of the Berliner wall (the support wall that holds up the soil). In response, we obtained two reports from external firms to assess the situation. The reports corroborated the fact that urgent corrective work was required before the next freeze-thaw cycle, and subsequently, given the condition of the support wall system, to ensure the safety of employees and residents, as well as the sustainability of the site and infrastructure.

You can view the recording of this public information session (in French only).

View the recording

Here is the list of questions asked during the virtual session and the answers that were provided.

You can view the recording of this public information session (in French only).

During construction, there may be obstructions in the dog park at certain times. However, the dog park will be maintained after the construction of the bus garage.

Street closures announced earlier this summer began on September 14. Two street closures will be in place until the work is completed.

• The south side of De Bellechasse Street is now closed to vehicle traffic between Saint-Dominique and De Gaspé. De Bellechasse is now a one-way street going west between De Gaspé and Saint-Laurent. A detour was set up for drivers. This street closure is needed to allow trucks to access the worksite. Please note that parking is no longer available along this section of the street.
• De Gaspé Street is also closed along the worksite, between De Bellechasse and Marmier. Buildings, including BIXI, will remain accessible through the parking lot next to BIXI and at other points.
• The dog park remains accessible.

Inquiries are processed on a case by case basis. To make an inquiry, you must contact our customer service and submit an official complaint. A claim file will be opened with the contractor’s insurer.

We can make vibration data public. To access it, you can make an access to information request to the STM.

As for air quality data, we do not produce any. Air quality is monitored on the spot when workers return to the site after blasting.

There is less dust in winter, and we are evaluating which dust management method to use.

During the construction, the contractor is responsible for planning and managing parking for workers so that maximum parking is available for local residents.Most of the workers park on the worksite.

We have a traffic plan that was approved by the borough, and truck drivers have been informed of the truck routes to use. We are working with the borough and the SPVM to ensure that trucks use the approved routes. We are monitoring this closely to ensure that the instructions given are followed and that trucks do not take residential streets.

In general, the work will take place from Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. It can, however, take place on the weekend in accordance with municipal by-laws. To view the borough’s by-law, click here (in French only).

Due to a lack of participation, the good neighbourhood committee will not continue its activities. However, information sessions may be held during the project.

• We have introduced a traffic maintenance plan, established by a specialized firm, for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists in the area.
• An inspector will be on the worksite to ensure compliance with regulations on noise levels and work hours.
• Water spraying will be carried out during demolition and excavation to reduce dust.
• The metal fences surrounding the worksite have been replaced by wooden partitions. The partitions have been installed on three streets: Saint-Dominique, Bellechasse and De Gaspé.

The building will have a high-quality environmental design. We aim to obtain LEED v4 Gold certification. The complex will incorporate:

• Natural light
• Universal accessibility
• Building envelope with superior energy efficiency
• Energy efficient mechanical and heat recovery system
• Water catchment and recycling
• Recovery of construction materials, when possible

Once the construction is complete, there will be underground parking spaces for employees working at the new garage.