Berri-UQAM

Work underway at Berri-UQAM station

Project summary

On June 2022, we began a major exterior project to replace the waterproofing system that protects the station’s underground roof. We take advantage in the work in progress to :

  • Update the underground infrastructure
  • Install two elevators to the Yellow line platforms
  • Improve the fire protection system and replace water chillers
  • Upgrade the natural ventilation system
  • Renovate the exterior of Sainte-Catherine Street entrance building

Stay informed

Stay informed of the project’s progress and other events by signing up for the electronic newsletter.

 

Duration of the work

  • Phase 1: June 13, 2022 to winter 2024
  • Phase 2: currently in planning

Maps of the worksite phases

 

Impacts on bus and Métro

The station will remain accessible at all times. Some entrances will be temporarily closed and bus stops will be relocated during the work.

For more details, see the "Get around" tab.

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Virtual information session

A public virtual information session took place on February 3, 2022. You can watch the recording of the webcast (in French only), view the presentation given that evening, and see a list of the questions asked and the answers provided during the session.

Station transformation


 

Get around

Replacing the waterproofing system requires us to dig into De Maisonneuve and Berri in order to reach the underground roof of the station. The scope and complexity of the project make it impossible to keep a lane open through the work zone.

The Métro station, businesses, restaurants and points of interest will be maintained at all times.

Trafic around the worksite map.

Bus service

Some stops are relocated :

Map of the relocated bus stops around the station.

 

Rerouted onto Ontario  between Saint-Hubert and Clark. Bus stops are relocated to the north side of Ontario.

Map of the relocated bus stops for line 15 West.

Boarding at stop 52844 at the corner of Berri and Sainte-Catherine.

Map of the relocated bus stops for lines 30, 361 and 427.

Boarding at stop 52630 at the corner of Ontario and Hôtel-de-Ville.

Map of the relocated bus stops for line 125 East

Boarding at Sainte-Catherine and Berri (stop 52846) and on Saint-Hubert, at the corner of Sainte-Catherine.

Map of the relocated bus stops for line 715 West.

Boarding on Saint-Hubert at the corner of Sainte-Catherine (stop 62059).

Map of the relocated bus stops for line 747.

Métro service

Sainte-Catherine entrance (exit B - Sainte-Catherine Street) is now reopened. A work area is still active inside and outside the building (in Parc Émilie-Gamelin). The doors on the east side of the entrance building remain blocked.

Worksite partitions are in place to allow us to complete the interior work.

The Métro station remains open at all times. Some work elements might be visible while you get around:

  • Worksite partitions on various levels of the station
  • Temporary closure of some staircases
  • Scaffolding above the Yellow line platforms and some staircases
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The escalator linking the Honoré-Beaugrand platform to the yellow line corridor will be closed from September 21, 2023 to April 2024, to allow installation of chilled water and fire protection pipes.

 

Paratransit

The Bibliothèque et archives nationales du Québec boarding point has been moved. Please refer to the information provided with your reservation for the exact boarding location.

Pedestrians

The corner of Saint-Denis and De Maisonneuve will reopen to traffic on December 23, 2023.

Both sides of the intersection will be open to pedestrians.

Please note that the south sidewalk of De Maisonneuve between Sanguinet and Saint-Denis will be closed due to the relocation of the worksite. To access Berri-UQAM station and Saint-Denis Street, use the north sidewalk of De Maisonneuve.

Trafic around the worksite map.

Cyclists

We recommend that you read all posted signage and allow extra time for your trips.

Map of the bike path detour

Traffic

Map of vehicle detours

Closed to traffic between Berri and Sanguinet Streets. Traffic redirected to René-Lévesque Boulevard and Sherbrooke Street via Berri.

One path in each direction between Sainte-Catherine and Ontario Streets.

Savoie becomes a cul-de-sac ending at the worksite on De Maisonneuve East Boulevard. It will be open to local traffic only via Ontario.

Traffic in both directions between Ontario and De Maisonneuve.

Learn more about the project

What is a waterproofing system?

Watch our video on waterproofing systems to learn how we protect our métro stations from water infiltrations. 

Consult the accessibility page for more info on the external medias.

See Waterproofing system replacement on YouTube

Work outside the station

  • Replacement of the waterproofing membrane covering the station’s underground roof
  • Addition of a new pumping station and two water connections to improve the fire protection system

Work inside the station

  • Addition of two elevators on the Yellow line platforms
  • Refurbishment of the fire protection system
  • Replacement of the fire alarm system
  • Addition of a secondary distribution substation

Work on the entrance buildings

  • Upgrades to the natural ventilation shafts
  • Replacement of the chillers and water towers
  • Refurbishment of the Saint-Catherine Street entrance building’s outer envelope
  • 31,269 square metres: surface area of the station, equivalent to five football fields
  • 600+ STM employees working inside the station
  • 28 escalators
  • 5 public elevators in operation, and 1 private
  • 625 steps (more than double the number of Saint-Joseph’s Oratory)
  • 6 levels with 2 others housing mechanical rooms
  • 6 platforms plus connecting tracks
  • 5 entrance buildings
  • 28 metres deep, from the Yellow line platform to an exit (only Charlevoix station is deeper)
  • 13 shops inside the station

The Berri-UQAM interior renovation was a large-scale project composed of many complex operations, all with the goal of providing an enhanced customer experience. The station is now more user-friendly and welcoming than ever.

This was one of our network’s largest worksites in the last decade, and it was quite a challenge to keep the station open while completing such major work. Each operation and each implementation strategy was planned so as to minimize the impact on customers and on métro operations. Completing this project required us to manage equipment and materials in the station’s limited space and in a particular environment.

  • Summer 2010 to fall 2011: We removed the wall finishes in most of the station's public areas and replaced them with temporary coverings until the permanent finishes could be installed.
  • Winter 2012 to summer 2012: We completed the removal of wall finishes and dismantled the decorative red columns that no longer met today's standards.
  • Early 2013: We refurbished the station's main electrical conduits, which led to the temporary shutdown of several escalators.
  • 2013: We renovated the Berri and Place Dupuis entrance buildings, replacing the structural slab, ceilings, lighting fixtures, floor coverings and granite stairs.
  • From fall 2013 to fall 2014: we replaced part of the waterproofing membrane under Berri Street. This work was essential to protect the inside of the station
  • 2015: We completed the refurbishment of the Yellow line area of the station, with refurbished wall finishes and floor coverings and improved lighting. We also worked on the tunnel ceiling and rebuilt the walkway over the tracks.
  • 2016: We refurbished the Saint-Denis entrance building, reconfigured a few corridors to the Orange and Green line platforms and refurbished the staircase between these two levels.
  • 2015 to 2017: We focused the station’s transformation on the Green and Orange lines. These areas of the station are now brighter, more welcoming and more user-friendly.
  • From 2017 to 2021: We completed the Green and Orange line renovations. The mezzanine was completely renovated and we modernized the shop fronts, all the wall coverings, and the lighting, among other things.The spaces between the mezzanine and the Green and Orange lines are now brighter, and the nearby turnstile area has been rearranged for better customer flow.Two elevators now connect the Orange line to the Green line.
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Did you know?

The refurbishment of the biggest métro station means:

  • 98,242 square feet of small round ceramic tiles installed
  • 4,700 lights changed
  • 2,649 ceiling tiles installed
  • 660 signage elements deployed
  • 3,000 linear feet of platform banners replaced

F.A.Q.

Due to the confined environment of the Yellow line, operations will be necessary outside of the current volume of the station.

In addition, the Yellow line platforms are located 28 metres below street level and installing elevators at that depth is a major technical challenge.

Since the Green and Yellow lines were not built directly on top of each other in the volume of the station, extending the newly installed Green line elevators down to the Yellow line was not possible.

The Berri-UQAM station will eventually have seven elevators allowing all customers to access its three métro lines.

Underground, the station is as wide as De Maisonneuve Boulevard West, between the Saint-Denis entrance building and the Place Dupuis entrance building. Under Berri Street, it begins 40 metres north of De Maisonneuve Boulevard and extends to Sainte-Catherine Street.

The scope and complexity of the work will make it impossible to keep a traffic lane open during certain stages of the work. Major work like this requires lots of space for moving machinery around. We will also have to deal with massive conduits (electrical power and others), which are particularly dense and complex and so, once again, we will need a lot of space to work around them.

We have been asked to replace the utilities located between the street and the station roof and in the excavation area. This includes water pipes, sewers and electrical duct banks. This means that this entire section of the street will be fully refurbished.

There are water pipes in the excavation area, so we may install a temporary water network. The outages would be short and only happen during the changeover. If this is the case, we will notify affected residents via the usual means of communication. If all goes according to plan, electrical networks should remain functional at all times.

Coordinating with the other worksites is very important to us. We have coordinated with the City of Montréal and the traffic plan was developed with all stakeholders in the area.

The waterproofing membrane protects the station from water infiltrations. It covers the station’s underground roof and is therefore located underground. The Berri-UQAM station’s membrane dates back to the station’s initial construction and has reached the end of its useful life.

Learn more about waterproofing membranes

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This work is made possible through funding from the Ministère des Transports du Québec.

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