Technoparc and West Island: information about the work in progress

As you may have noticed, work is well underway on the South Shore, at the Édouard-Montpetit station and along the Deux-Montagnes line, but preparatory work has also begun along the West Branch.

What does this work entail?

Beginning in mid-September, the NouvLR consortium team will be increasingly visible in the Saint‑Laurent borough and on the West Island. The upcoming activities will enable the teams to mobilize, install equipment and clean up the sites in order to build the REM’s infrastructure and stations.

To accomplish this, workers will first carry out branch removal and tree and shrub cutting. They will then ensure that the wood are commercial recovered or they will conduct waste shredding (chipping) on site.

Please note that any cutting must adhere to minimum requirements and the limitations of the land identified in the project. These activities will be overseen and coordinated by our environmental experts. Trees and plant species have been inventoried in each work zone. At-risk plant species and trees will be relocated, if the circumstances allow for it, or compensated with new plantings.

Precautions taken in the Technoparc area

Regarding the Technoparc Montréal area, the work will focus north of Alexander Fleming Street. Two years ago, the decision was made to change the REM's route: from now on, the REM will run through a tunnel north of Alexander Fleming Street in order to avoid wetlands (south of the street).

We have also ensured that the construction techniques do not affect these wetlands and that the tunnel is built directly into the rock:

1. First of all, the launch shaft and trench are built using watertight walls. These methods are known for maintaining the neighbouring water table level and are often used to build structures in water, for example, the Eglinton and Spadina tunnels in Toronto.
2. Once the retaining walls have been built, the ground is excavated from the shaft and the trench. Walls are installed below the final excavation level, and a slab is placed on the bottom of the shaft to resist heave due to the water table (see the illustration below). This technique prevents surface water from draining from adjacent wetlands or the surrounding water table.
3. Following excavation, a tunnel-boring machine such as the Earth Pressure Balanced Machine (EPBM) is used to provide pressure to support the tunnel face. This makes it possible to tunnel through rock or earth while controlling water pressure, without disrupting the water table. Consequently, no water will leak or seep into the tunnel.

Did you know? Fall is the best time to minimize the impact of branch removal and tree and shrub cutting activities. By doing this work now, we will avoid the nesting season, and chicks will have left their nests.

Our commitments

In addition to our commitments to protect the Technoparc Montréal wetlands and at-risk species, the REM project office is committed to replanting cut trees, and much more!

A few figures

• Reduction of 680,000 tonnes of GHG emissions over 25 years of the REM in operation
• 250,000 trees planted to compensate for GHG emissions during construction 
• 26 stations integrated into their environment
• 2023: commissioning of the system in the West Island