Skip to main content

Canada: Champlain Bridge deal awarded to SNC-Lavalin consortium

The Canadian government has awarded a multi-billion dollar contract for the Champlain Bridge in Montreal, in the province of Quebec, to a consortium led by SNC-Lavalin. The firm, based in Montreal, will design, build, maintain and operate the toll bridge under a 35-year public-private partnership deal worth between US$2.5-$4.1 billion. The consortium called Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group includes Spanish firms Dragados Canada and ACS Infrastructures and the US firm Flatiron Construction. Other
April 17, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
The Canadian government has awarded a multi-billion dollar contract for the Champlain Bridge in Montreal, in the province of Quebec, to a consortium led by SNC-Lavalin.

The firm, based in Montreal, will design, build, maintain and operate the toll bridge under a 35-year public-private partnership deal worth between US$2.5-$4.1 billion.

The consortium called Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group includes Spanish firms 4761 Dragados Canada and 917 ACS Infrastructures and the US firm 2758 Flatiron Construction. Other members are MMM Group, T.Y. Lin International, International Bridge Technologies Canada and 981 Hochtief PPP Solutions.

The project will replace an ageing bridge, will link Montreal to the St Lawrence River's south shore and should generate 30,000 jobs. Work is expected to start this summer for completion in December 2018, according to a statement by federal infrastructure minister Denis Lebel who made the contract award in Montreal. SNC beat two other bidders for the work.

The bid requirements for the Champlain Bridge contract stipulated that no company, affiliate or member of a board of directors could have been convicted of a criminal offence in order for their consortium to qualify.

Because of this, the awarding of the deal by the Federal Bridge Authority to SNC Lavalin, is controversial. The Globe and Mail %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal newspaper reported Globe and Mail report false http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/snc-lavalin-shakes-up-senior-management-team/article23965219/ false false%> that SNC was charged in February with corruption and fraud over alleged criminal acts that occurred between 2001 and 2011 while it did business in Libya. But SNC has said the acts were committed by former employees who have since left the company and that the corporation itself should never have been charged.

The Globe also said that the SNC’s infrastructure business unit, which includes projects like hospitals, mass transit and water treatment plants, has posted losses on earnings before interest and taxes for the past two years. SNC announced this week it will replace the executive in charge of the business.

2482 SNC Lavalin will announce its first quarter result on May 7.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Algeria gives go ahead for 63km Guelma-Annaba motorway
    December 11, 2014
    Work has started on Algeria’s 63km bypass motorway to connect Guelma with Annaba and the East-West motorway, which is set to be completed within two years. Algeria’s Minister for Public Works Abdelkader Kadi made the announcement, has announced the launch of work on the 63km bypass connecting Guelma with Annaba. Nearly $346 million has been set aside for the 35km part of the project within the province of Guelma. In the province of Annaba, Kadi said that work had started on another section of the mot
  • London’s congestion charge is saving lives, a study suggests
    March 9, 2015
    Traffic accidents in the UK capital London have declined 40% since the introduction of a congestion charge in 2003, according to a new study. The number of accidents per million miles driven in the congestion zone fell to 2.6 accidents per million miles from an average of 12.4 before the introduction of the charge. Researchers at Lancaster University also found a similar fall in the number of people seriously injured or killed. As well, accident rates fell in adjacent areas as a result of fewer motorists dr
  • Road safety awards opening for entries
    April 6, 2017
    Road markings specialist Evonik is opening its road safety awards for entries. The firm was a pioneer of MMA cold plastic road markings and established its awards system last year in a bid to help improve road safety and disseminate best practices. Following the successful introduction of these awards last year, Evonik will again elect and award a public authority for its efforts in improving road safety. The winner of this award will be selected by an independent jury consisting of international road safet
  • Five things road construction crews should not do
    June 19, 2015
    Sometimes you need a sense of humour to complete a task. Sometimes that sense of humour can overstep the mark and not everyone will see the joke, as these five road construction site pictures show. Here are five things that construction crews should not do.