The Canadian government has awarded a multi-billion dollar contract for the Champlain Bridge in Montreal, in the province of Quebec, to a consortium led by SNC-Lavalin.
The firm, based in Montreal, will design, build, maintain and operate the toll bridge under a 35-year public-private partnership deal worth between US$2.5-$4.1 billion.
The consortium called Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group includes Spanish firms4761 Dragados Canada and 917 ACS Infrastructures and the US firm 2758 Flatiron Construction. Other members are MMM Group, T.Y. Lin International, International Bridge Technologies Canada and 981 Hochtief PPP Solutions.
The project will replace an ageing bridge, will link Montreal to the St Lawrence River's south shore and should generate 30,000 jobs. Work is expected to start this summer for completion in December 2018, according to a statement by federal infrastructure minister Denis Lebel who made the contract award in Montreal. SNC beat two other bidders for the work.
The bid requirements for the Champlain Bridge contract stipulated that no company, affiliate or member of a board of directors could have been convicted of a criminal offence in order for their consortium to qualify.
Because of this, the awarding of the deal by the Federal Bridge Authority to SNC Lavalin, is controversial. The Globe and Mail <%$Linker:2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal newspaper reported Globe and Mail report false http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/snc-lavalin-shakes-up-senior-management-team/article23965219/ false false %> that SNC was charged in February with corruption and fraud over alleged criminal acts that occurred between 2001 and 2011 while it did business in Libya. But SNC has said the acts were committed by former employees who have since left the company and that the corporation itself should never have been charged.
The Globe also said that the SNC’s infrastructure business unit, which includes projects like hospitals, mass transit and water treatment plants, has posted losses on earnings before interest and taxes for the past two years. SNC announced this week it will replace the executive in charge of the business.
2482 SNC Lavalin will announce its first quarter result on May 7.
The firm, based in Montreal, will design, build, maintain and operate the toll bridge under a 35-year public-private partnership deal worth between US$2.5-$4.1 billion.
The consortium called Signature on the Saint-Lawrence Group includes Spanish firms
The project will replace an ageing bridge, will link Montreal to the St Lawrence River's south shore and should generate 30,000 jobs. Work is expected to start this summer for completion in December 2018, according to a statement by federal infrastructure minister Denis Lebel who made the contract award in Montreal. SNC beat two other bidders for the work.
The bid requirements for the Champlain Bridge contract stipulated that no company, affiliate or member of a board of directors could have been convicted of a criminal offence in order for their consortium to qualify.
Because of this, the awarding of the deal by the Federal Bridge Authority to SNC Lavalin, is controversial. The Globe and Mail <%$Linker:
The Globe also said that the SNC’s infrastructure business unit, which includes projects like hospitals, mass transit and water treatment plants, has posted losses on earnings before interest and taxes for the past two years. SNC announced this week it will replace the executive in charge of the business.
