2018-2028 Québec Infrastructure Plan - A record $100 billion-plus in investments to drive economic growth and vitality throughout Québec

QUÉBEC, March 27, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Today, the Gouvernement du Québec presented the most ambitious investment program it has ever undertaken to support the economy and improve service quality across Québec. The 2018‑2028 Québec Infrastructure Plan (QIP) provides for investments of $100.4 billion over ten years, the biggest increase since the rollout of the first QIP in 2007.

Representing a 10.2% increase over the 2017‑2027 QIP, these historic investments have been made possible thanks to the sound management of public finances in recent years and the strength of the Québec economy. Beginning in 2018‑2019, more than $10 billion will be allocated for infrastructure improvements and new projects.

Public transit, education and the digital strategy top the priority list
The Plan places significant emphasis on public transit and innovation. It provides for an unprecedented $2.3 billion in additional investments to help make citizens more mobile and improve traffic flow, including through several public transit projects across Québec which will support the Government's pending sustainable mobility policy. Education will see $2.2 billion in investments, more than $1.1 billion of which will go toward renovating schools and adding more classrooms. The Government is also investing $1.2 billion to bolster Québec's digital strategy, which will be hugely beneficial for the education and higher education sector as it will enrich learning practices through the use of digital technology and, in turn, help young people and workers hone their digital skills.

2018-2023 real estate vision
The Government will develop its first real estate vision to steer the development and management of public buildings in the years ahead. Carried out by the Société québécoise des infrastructures, this vision will lay out the broad guidelines the Government intends to follow to improve the management of its real estate inventory. These overarching directions will include strengthening internal real estate expertise, equipping the Government with a long-term vision of its building occupancy and the management of its spaces by planning its real estate needs over a ten-year period, and more successfully managing public infrastructure projects, capitalizing on advances in digital technology.

Greater transparency in project monitoring
As of June, Quebecers everywhere will be able to go online to follow the progress of all projects of $50 million or more included in the 2018‑2028 QIP. On the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor website, citizens will now be able to find all available information on the Government's decisions about and the status of major infrastructure projects.

Quote: 

"Responsibly managing public finances has put us in a position to invest more in building and preserving our infrastructure, be it hospitals, schools, or the maintenance and development of our roads and public transit infrastructure. A historic sum of over $100 billion will be invested for the 2018‑2028 period. This is the largest growth since the implementation of the Québec Infrastructure Plan in 2007, and a record investment, of which 65% will be used to maintain our assets. The job creation that will result from our choice will achieve our goal of creating 250,000 new jobs."

Pierre Arcand, Minister responsible for Government Administration and Ongoing Program Review and Chair of the Conseil du trésor

Highlights:

• A total of $6.3 billion in additional investments in public transit and highway infrastructure, including $4 billion for major roadwork projects and $2.3 billion for transformative transit projects. These projects include:
• the extension of the blue metro line – Montréal
• the transformative "tramway-trambus" project – Québec City
• a project office for a third link – Québec City–Lévis
• the extension of Route 138 – Côte-Nord
• a project office for a bridge between Baie-Sainte-Catherine and Tadoussac – Côte-Nord
• the extension of Autoroute 19 – Laval and Laurentides
• An additional $2.2 billion for education and higher education, including more than $1.1 billion to renovate schools and add classrooms in Québec.
  
• A further $1.2 billion for healthcare infrastructure improvements, such as the Vaudreuil-Soulanges hospital project in Montérégie.
  
• A sum of $1.2 billion to speed up the digital shift Québec-wide.
  
• A total of $226 million to build 3,000 social housing units.

Related link:

2018‑2028 Québec Infrastructure Plan: www.tresor.gouv.qc.ca

SOURCE Cabinet du ministre responsable de l'Administration gouvernementale et de la Révision permanente des programmes et président du Conseil du trésor