The Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Tunnel is the longest submerged tunnel in Canada and is an integral part of Autoroute 25, linking the eastern side of the Island of Montreal and Longueuil through Ile Charron in Boucherville. The tunnel enables over 120,000 vehicles to cross the St. Lawrence River each day.
Originally built in 1960 as part of the Trans-Canada highway system, the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Tunnel was in need of a refurbished structure. The $1.4-billion rehabilitation project will refit the tunnel and extend its life by another 40 years.
Watson Bowman Acme has distributed 180 feet of Omega Seal to the project. The Seal extends up to 125 years of design life with little to no maintenance. It helps the tunnel withstand high water pressure and accommodates large movements in all directions.
The design-build team will be required to keep the tunnel open to traffic during the four-year construction period. Construction is scheduled to run until summer 2025.