The Canadian province of Quebec tendered this month for expansion of the Pie-IX Boulevard bus rapid transit system between the cities of Laval and Montreal.
The provincial government will contribute US$304 million out of which around $23 million will be for 28 new buses, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Construction of the 11km stretch could start by October with completion in 2022.
Pie-IX Boulevard, named after Pius IX, a Catholic pope, is a major thoroughfare on the island of Montreal, passing the Montreal Botanical Gardens and the Olympic Stadium. The boulevard forms part of Quebec Route 125 and hosts the Pie-IX metro station.
Before 2002, the boulevard hosted Montreal’s only bus rapid transit line and which used contra-circulating lanes and dedicated bus stations. The Montréal-Nord commuter rail station is also located on Pie-IX Boulevard.
