Route and work

To determine the route with the least impact, Hydro‑Québec carried out environmental and technical surveys in the study area.

We also met with a number of stakeholders, including representatives from the city of Gatineau, the Ministère des Transports du Québec, the Société de transport de l’Outaouais and the Tramway Gatineau-Ottawa project office, to gather their input. Discussions with stakeholders remain ongoing to ensure consistency with the work planned by the city and other partners in the short and medium terms.

In order to limit the impacts on the environment as much as possible, Hydro‑Québec developed the route for the concrete duct bank based on the results of the environmental assessments and the recommendations and constraints raised at stakeholder meetings.

Line route map

Construction steps

To underground the lines, Hydro‑Québec will install an underground concrete duct bank along the entire length of the route, most of which is located on company property. For any affected land not belonging to us, we will obtain the required rights and authorizations from the owner(s).

Excavation of a 1-m wide trench
Construction of a concrete duct bank roughly 1.6 m deep
Backfilling of the trenches as the work progresses
Installation of access shaft
Cable pulling, assembly of cable joints, and electrical testing
Final backfilling of the access shaft and site restoration

Impacts

Stretch of Voyageurs Pathway redirected, based on construction work
Clearing of approximately 9-m wide pathway along the length of the route
Noise from machinery during certain operations

Mitigation measures

Communication with people directly affected by the work
Publication of information bulletins on the construction work
Installation of information panels on the Voyageurs Pathway
Installation of information panels announcing disruptions on public roads
Appropriate signage at the work site
Uninterrupted access to residences and businesses at all times – local traffic only
Uninterrupted access to vehicle entrances and driveways – local traffic only
Signalers on site to direct traffic around the work site
Site fencing to separate the work area from pedestrian walkways, if applicable

Note: No service interruptions are anticipated as part of this work.