Autoroute 30 (A-30)
Location: Greater Montreal Area, Quebec
Provincial/Federal/Municipal: Provincial
Status: Operational
Value of Partnership: $1.5 billion NPV
Type of P3: DBFMOR and FMOR
Date of Financial Close: September 2008
Date of Substantial Completion: 2012
Handback: 2043
The 42-kilometre western extension of Autoroute 30 (A-30) was one of the most important transport infrastructure projects undertaken in Quebec in the past 50 years, alleviating congestion and reducing air pollution in the Greater Montreal Area.
Construction started in 2008 and fully opened to traffic in December 2012. The project was delivered on time and on budget.
The toll highway links the A-20 and A-540 routes from Toronto and Ottawa, where they converge at Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. The new A-30 routes traffic along the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, tying into the existing A-30 at Chateauguay leading to Quebec City.
It's estimated a driver travelling between Vaudreuil-Dorion and Boucherville saves, on average, 23 to 31 minutes during rush hour using the A-30 rather than crossing the Island of Montréal.
The scope of work included the construction of a 42-kilometre, dual two-lane highway, two large bridges crossing the St. Lawrence River (1,800 metres long) and the St Lawrence Seaway/Beauharnois Canal (2,500 metres long). Other project features include 30 other bridge structures over rivers, existing roads and railways, as well as a short tunnel under a canal.
Nouvelle Autoroute 30, SENC, is responsible for the Design-Build-Finance-Maintain-Operate-Rehabilitate (DBFMOR) project for 35 years, as well as the financing, maintenance, operation and rehabilitation of 35 kilometres of supplementary sections of the A-30.
Within 100 days of announcing the preferred proponent in 2008, the $1.5 billion (NPV or net present value) project reached financial close and the credit facility was fully syndicated, a significant achievement given the instability of credit markets at the time (2007–2008 global financial crisis).
It was estimated in 2008 that using a P3 would achieve $751 million NPV in savings over the 35 years of the partnership Agreement compared with a traditional design-build approach. In addition, the government determined the completion of the A-30 as a P3 would make it possible to open the highway as a continuous route two years earlier than if using conventional methods.
In June 2018, Nouvelle Autoroute 30, SENC successfully closed a $1.2-billion bond refinancing for the A-30 concession project. At the time, it was considered the largest transportation infrastructure P3 bond financing in Canadian history.
Background
Between 1968 and 1996, approximately 100 kilometres of the Autoroute 30 highway were brought into service, with exception of certain portions remaining unfinished and no bypass route for Montréal. This meant commercial and passenger vehicles all had to cross the city core resulting in congestion, wasted time and increased pollution.
Despite their proximity to major markets in the United States and Ontario, businesses in the western portion of the Montérégie area couldn’t move their goods efficiently, depressing both interprovincial and cross-border trade. Plans to complete Autoroute 30 had stalled repeatedly over four decades, with a significant negative economic impact.
After the Ministry of Transportation carried out a number of studies that determined a P3 model offered distinct advantages, including significant value for money savings, the project was finally able to proceed with an RFP issued in November 2006.
Partners:
Public: Ministère des Transports du Québec
Private: Nouvelle Autoroute 30, SENC (ACCIONA S.A. and Iridium Concesiones de Infraestructuras S.A., part of the ACS Group, Dragados Canada Inc., Acciona Infrastructures Canada Inc., Aecon*, Construction DJL Inc., Verreault Inc., Arup Canada Inc. and SICE)
*In April 2010, Aecon announced it was joining the project with a 16 per cent interest in the construction joint venture.
*In 2015, the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) acquired 75 per cent of ACS's stake in the project.
Awards:
