News Ports
Feds invest $45.8M in road infrastructure at the Port of Montréal

The quality of Canada’s transportation infrastructure and the efficiency of the country’s trade corridors are key to the success of Canadian firms in the global marketplace. The Government of Canada supports infrastructure projects that create quality middle-class jobs and boost economic growth.

The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, recently announced major funding of $45.8 million for road infrastructure in the City of Montréal adjacent to the Port of Montréal. The investment will improve the fluidity and efficiency of the road network and will help local businesses and the port compete by transporting their local goods to market and by improving road infrastructure.

“Our government is investing in Canada’s economy by making improvements to our trade and transportation corridors. We are supporting projects that will efficiently move commercial goods to market and people to their destinations, stimulate economic growth, create quality middle-class jobs, and ensure that Canada’s transportation networks remain competitive and efficient,” Garneau said.

The project provides a direct link between the Port of Montreal and highway to reduce congestion on Notre-Dame Street and ensure containers continually move from the terminals. The work will involve extending De l’Assomption Boulevard between Notre-Dame and Pierre-de-Coubertin streets, making it possible to connect a new road at the port exit to the future extension of Souligny Avenue. A road link will be created between the port and the Trans-Canada highway. The project is expected to have significant economic and employment benefits by creating approximately 460 jobs during construction.

The Government of Canada is supporting infrastructure projects that contribute most to Canada’s continued success in international trade. 

For example, projects being funded will:
• support economic activity and the physical movement of goods or people in Canada;

• help the transportation system withstand the effects of climate change and make sure it is able to support new technologies and innovation;

• address transportation bottlenecks and congestion along Canada’s trade corridors; and

• increase the fluidity of Canadian trade around the world through our ports, airports, roads, railways, intermodal facilities, bridges and border crossings.

Provincial, territorial and municipal governments, Indigenous groups, not-for-profit and for-profit private-sector organizations, federal Crown Corporations, Canadian Port Authorities, and National Airport System Airport Authorities are all eligible for funding under the National Trade Corridors Fund.

Quick facts

• Canada’s trade with the Pacific Rim is no longer limited to the west coast: in 2006, trade with Asia in 2006 was a small part of the Port of Montreal’s market, by 2016, it represented 25% of traffic at the port. This project will improve the efficiency and capacity of the Port of Montréal and the connected trade corridor, to strengthen Canada’s competitiveness.

• At rush hour, nearly 3,500 vehicles transit to the Dickson and Notre-Dame intersection.

• The three container terminals in the east of Montréal generate nearly 3,600 daily truck movements.

• Transportation is an important element of Canada’s trade with other countries. In 2017, total international merchandise trade amounted to $1.1 trillion. The United States continued to be Canada’s top trade partner, with $703 billion in trade ($415 billion exported, $288 billion imported), accounting for 63.5 per cent of total Canadian trade in 2017.

• The Government of Canada places a strong emphasis on exports because of the connection between trade and good, well-paying jobs, as industries that are export-intensive pay wages that are, on average, more than 50 per cent higher than industries that are not.