Rehabilitation of the Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine tunnel

The Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine tunnel is a major infrastructure and key access link for Montreal that is used by 120,000 vehicles daily, 13% of which are trucks. Refurbishing this link improves and extends its service life for approximately 40 years without major works.

The project consists of managing water from tunnel rehabilitation works, which include the removal of damaged concrete by hydro-demolition, surface preparation, installation of anchors, installation of reinforcing steel, and concrete work.

Location Montreal, Canada
Year 2023
Capacity : 50 m³/h

Challenges

  • The quality of the water extracted from the site is variable and impacted by the type of rehabilitation works, including demolition, drilling, and concreting.
  • Concrete and suspended materials (SS) give the water a high hydrogen potential (pH).
  • The system must be specially configured to adapt to confined and restricted spaces.
  • The lack of a dedicated, specialized water management operator requires the implementation of a simple, understandable treatment system and accessible technical support.

Outcomes

  • Keep release of water at an acceptable level in accordance with the environmental standards of the Greater Montreal area.
  • More than 1,500 fewer tanker trips to filtration plants, resulting in reduced project costs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
  • 60% of water reused, resulting in reduced time lost in operations.
  • Ensure system is mobile and has a small footprint.
  • Cost savings on specialized operational labour.