La Fontaine tunnel work close to $3B as southbound section reopens

$3 billion later, lanes will begin to reopen in the La Fontaine Tunnel between Montreal and Longueuil.

The Quebec Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility says work on the southbound section of the Louis-Hippolyte-La-Fontaine tunnel has been completed.

The agency said traffic will gradually be transferred to the renovated southbound tunnel starting Monday. Work on the northbound side will begin shortly after, with the full reopening of the tunnel – two lanes in each direction – still scheduled for late fall 2026.

During a press conference announcing the update, Stephane Campedelli, project director of the Renouveau la Fontaine, said the total cost of the project has now reached nearly $3 billion.

The original budget for the megaproject was estimated at $2.5 billion.

The renovation project first began almost three years ago and is already a year behind schedule.

“When you start renovation projects, you don’t know what you were going to find,” Campedelli said.

Mould and the need to replace the ventilation towers were among the unforeseen issues that caused delays.

However, Campedelli said the work will help extend the life of the tunnel by about 40 years.

“All of the electronic mechanical system, [and] mostly the ventilation system is new,” he said.

According to Geneviève Campeau, traffic manager for Renouveau La Fontaine, the reopening of the southbound tunnel should not impact the flow of traffic starting Monday.

The agency added tunnel closures are planned over the next two weekends to accommodate the new layout.

“This weekend we are going to close the south direction from Friday to Monday,” she said.

With files from Swidda Rassy