Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Tunnel
Location: Montreal/South Shore, Quebec
Status: Under Construction
Provincial/Federal/Municipal: Provincial
Value of Partnership: $1.4 billion
Type of P3: DBF
Financial Close: July 2020
Construction Completion Target: Fall 2026
Handback: N/A
The Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Tunnel Rehabilitation project is modernizing Canada’s longest underwater highway tunnel, a 1.5-kilometre structure linking Montréal’s east end with the South Shore. Originally constructed in 1967, the tunnel carries roughly 120,000 vehicles each day.
The scope of work includes major structural repairs to the tunnel’s concrete walls, vaults and roadway, upgrades to fire protection and smoke evacuation systems, and the replacement of electrical, mechanical and supervisory infrastructure.
The project includes the rehabilitation of adjacent sections of Autoroutes 25 and 20, the addition of a reserved bus and carpool lane and improvements to key interchanges.
In July 2020, the Quebec government and Renouveau La Fontaine signed a $1.14-billion agreement for the financing, design and execution of rehabilitation works. The financing package includes a bank loan from a syndicate of five Canadian banks and a Japanese bank, noted a news release from VINCI.
A major construction milestone was reached in April 2025 with the completion of the southbound tunnel tube, allowing traffic to shift so rehabilitation work could begin on the northbound side. Both tubes are now scheduled to reopen in late autumn 2026, with final landscaping and finishing work expected to continue into late 2027.
Throughout construction, the tunnel and surrounding roadway network have remained in service under staged traffic configurations. Mitigation measures, including free shuttle services and reserved bus lanes are used to manage congestion and maintain mobility along one of the region’s most critical transportation corridors.
Partners:
Public: Ministère des Transports du Québec
Private: Renouveau La Fontaine (Pomerleau Inc., Eurovia Infra and Dodin Campenon Bernard SAS (both Eurovia and Dodin are VINCI subsidiaries)
