Government of Canada Announces Preferred Proponent for the New Bridge for the St. Lawrence Corridor Project

MONTRÉAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - April 15, 2015) - Infrastructure Canada

The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, announced today that Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group has been selected as the preferred proponent for construction of the new bridge for the St. Lawrence, under a public-private partnership. This major infrastructure project is expected to create 30,000 high-quality jobs in the Montréal region and across Canada.

Following a rigorous, open, fair and transparent procurement process, Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group was selected because its proposal met all the technical criteria required for the project, and offered the best price possible for taxpayers. The criteria evaluated included: project schedule management, the design and build approach, durability of the infrastructure, operation, maintenance and rehabilitation plans, measures to ensure compliance with architectural criteria, and the robustness of the financing plan.

The entire process was overseen by a Fairness Monitor who provided an independent opinion confirming the fairness, openness and transparency of the process. In addition, all businesses within Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group were confirmed to be in compliance with the Public Works and Government Services Canada Integrity Framework.

Within a few weeks, Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group will begin preparatory work on one of the largest infrastructure projects in North America. Construction on the new bridge will get underway at the beginning of summer 2015.

The Government of Canada and Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group will finalize the partnership agreement between now and late July 2015.

Quick Facts

• The new bridge for the St. Lawrence will be built as a public-private partnership in order to provide Canadians with best value for money and to ensure that the project is delivered on time and on budget.
• The project includes a new bridge for the St. Lawrence, a new Île-des-Soeurs bridge, reconstruction of Highway 15 on Île-des-Soeurs and reconstruction and widening of Highway 15 on the Island of Montréal.
• The Government of Canada is committed to having the new bridge for the St. Lawrence in service by 2018, and to having the remainder of the corridor completed by October 2019.

Quotes

"Since the beginning of the project, our government has met or exceeded each of the schedule milestones without compromising the integrity or the quality and rigour of the project. In addition to creating thousands of jobs, the new bridge is an investment in Montréal's future which will promote economic growth by improving connections across the road system and ensuring the continuous and safe flow of people and goods."

"We expect that as many as 30,000 high-quality jobs will be created by this project over the coming years in the Montréal region and across Canada. These are well-paying jobs for steel workers and welders, for truck drivers and concrete workers, for equipment suppliers and service providers. With the selection of Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group and the start of preparatory work in a few weeks, we remain on track to open the new Champlain Bridge by December 2018."

The Honourable Denis Lebel

Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec

"Through a rigorous open, fair and transparent procurement process, Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group was selected as the preferred proponent for the new bridge for the St. Lawrence corridor project's public-private partnership. This important infrastructure project will contribute to job creation, economic growth and long-term prosperity. "

The Honourable Diane Finley

Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada

Related Products

Find out about the procurement process leading to the selection of the preferred proponent for the project.

Additional Links

View new images of bridge created by the preferred proponent

http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/nbsl-npsl/photo-eng.html

Learn more about the New Bridge for the St. Lawrence Corridor Project:

http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/nbsl-npsl/index-eng.html

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Backgrounder

Procurement Process for the New Bridge for the St. Lawrence Corridor Project

On April 15, 2015, the Government of Canada announced that Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group is the preferred proponent for the New Bridge for the St. Lawrence Corridor (NBSLC) project's public-private partnership (PPP).

Preferred Proponent

Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group is composed of 8 organizations, specifically:

• SNC-Lavalin
• ACS Infrastructure
• HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions
• Dragados
• Flatiron Construction
• MMM Group
• TY Lin International
• International Bridge Technologies

Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group has significant experience carrying out major infrastructure projects such as the Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver, BC, the Bay Bridge linking San Francisco and Oakland, California and the Hoover Dam Bypass in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Public Private Partnership (PPP)

The NBSLC project is being procured as a PPP. This means that the selected private sector partner will be responsible to deliver the project at a pre-determined price with meaningful penalties in case of contract defaults. This allows for a good balance of risk sharing between the government and the private partner and provides financial certainty to the government and to taxpayers. It also offers guarantees that the infrastructure will be well maintained for the duration of the contract.

Procurement Process

The two-step procurement process was announced on March 3, 2014. The Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was posted on March 17, 2014 and six consortia submitted responses. On July 21, 2014, the three highest respondents were invited to the Request for Proposals (RFP) stage.

The RFP proposals were required to comply with the following rigorously defined technical criteria:

• Time Management
• Management
• Design
• Construction
• Durability
• Architectural Guidelines
• Operations, Maintenance and Rehabilitation
• Tolling Approach

For example, proposals had to demonstrate how the new bridge would be completed by December 2018, designs had to be consistent with the definition design announced on June 27, 2014 and be able to accommodate public transit systems.

Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group submitted the lowest cost, technically compliant proposal, which will help ensure value for money for taxpayers and high quality construction, designed to last 125 years. Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the NBSLC project over a 35-year term, with a commitment to deliver the project for a fixed price and by set dates.

Integrity and Oversight

The Government of Canada implemented a fair, open and transparent process based on a commercially accepted PPP procurement approach. Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group has complied with all applicable laws and Public Works and Government Services Canada's Integrity Framework.

The procurement process was also overseen by a fairness monitor who provided an independent opinion that the process was fair, open and transparent.

Next Steps

In order to take advantage of the spring / summer 2015 construction season, an Early Works Agreement will be signed between Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group and the Government of Canada. Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group will begin early work over the coming weeks.

The Project Agreement will be executed between Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group and the Government of Canada by the end of July 2015. Major construction will begin shortly after.

About the Project

On October 5, 2011, the Government of Canada announced that the Champlain Bridge would be replaced by a new crossing. This is one of the busiest crossings in Canada and is a crucial corridor for the regional economy and for Canada as a whole.

The NBSLC project is one of the largest infrastructure projects in North America. The corridor-wide project not only includes a new bridge for the St. Lawrence, but a new Île-des-Soeurs Bridge and reconstruction and widening of the federal portion of Autoroute 15.

Through a PPP, the Government of Canada intends to deliver a world-class project on time and in a manner that ensures the best value for Canadian taxpayers. The project will create thousands of jobs and have a positive impact on the local, regional and national economies.

The new bridge is the priority component and will be in service by December 2018. The other components of the project will be completed by October 2019.

Summary of Key Procurement Milestones

• March 3, 2014:
  The Government of Canada announced the procurement process.
• March 17, 2014:
  The RFQ was posted on Buy and Sell.
• July 21, 2014:
  The Government of Canada launched the RFP. Three consortia were invited to submit proposals for the PPP.
• February 11, 2015:
  The three consortia submitted technical proposals.
• April 1, 2015:
  The three consortia submitted financial proposals.
• April 15, 2015:
  Announcement that Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group is the preferred proponent.