Plante's 1st capital works budget targets crumbling roads, waterworks but no mention of Metro Pink line

Montreal will be spending $6.38 billion on capital works over the next three years, the majority of which will go toward road repairs and water infrastructure.

The capital works budget, released Wednesday morning, outlines whatinfrastructure projects are planned for the next three years and how much money will be set aside to pay for them. Exceptionally, it comes a week after the adoption of the city's operating budget, which is normally passed afterthe capital works budget has been approved.

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More than $2 billion will be spent on road construction and repairs, while slightly less than that amount will be spent on environmental and underground projects, including replacing and repairing water mains and sewers.

"These investments aim to eliminate the deficit in upkeep of the road network over the next five years and the water and sewer system over 10 years," the city said in a news release.

When theoperating budget was announced earlier this month, Mayor Valrie Planteattributed the higher-than-expected tax increaseto the need to make urgent repairs tothe city's waterworks. Just yesterday, it announced a 10-year, $235-million plan to improvethe potable water network in Lachine and Dorval.

Housing, bike paths but no word on Pink line

Notably absent from the new three-year capital plan is any mention of the Pink line aproposed new Metro lineon which Plante campaigned thatwouldrundiagonally from Montreal North through downtown to Lachine.

The plan does, however, allocate substantial resources to newborough projects, such as a new aquatic centre in Pierrefonds,and to public housing.

Affordable housing, Plante said, is"a basic need, and we're tackling it."

The citywill invest $22.6 million in publichousing, $15 million of which will be dedicated to buying land for housing projects.

In the past, ProjetMontralhad criticized theCoderreadministration for setting aside just $3 millionbetween 2017 and 2019 for land acquisition for housing projects.

Some highlights

Other projectsin the capital budget include:

• $95 million for the Ste-Catherine Street makeover.
• $72.5 million for the reconstruction of Pie-IX Boulevard.
• $60.9 million for the refurbishment of Plaza St-Hubert.
• $50 million for theRseauExpressVlo, a 140-km network of bike paths promised by Plante.
• $63.8 million for Montreal libraries and for new technology to track books and other loaned items.
• $165.7 million for Parc Jean-Drapeaurenovations, including improvements tothe Gilles-Villeneuve race track.