Carbonleo Unveils Metro-Royalmount Footbridge Project in Montreal

A footbridge linking STM’s De la Savane metro station in Montreal to the Royalmount mixed-use complex project is slated for completion in 2024. (Rendering Courtesy of CNW Group/Royalmount)

Construction is under way on a C$25 million pedestrian bridge linking Société de transport de Montréal’s (STM) De La Savane metro station and the new Royalmount mixed-use complex in midtown Montreal.

Carbonleo, a privately owned Quebec real estate development and management company, is financing the work as part of its Royalmount project, which will feature more than 170 retailers, including 60 restaurants and experiential attractions.

Conceptualized by Carbonleo, together with the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable, town of Mount Royal, city of Montreal, and STM, the footbridge will span more than 219 yards (200 meters) across the Décarie Expressway and is expected to accommodate nearly 10 million pedestrians per year, Carbonleo reported. A public square will also be built alongside the Orange Line metro station in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, as the starting point of the footbridge.

“Given the complexity of the construction and the fact that the structure will bridge a public roadway, these key stakeholders worked jointly on the project to minimize traffic disruption and maximize active mobility,” according to the real estate development and management firm.

Sid Lee Architecture is the designer of the bridge, which is expected to open in 2024. Site preparation work has already begun, and pillar construction will follow. According to Carbonleo, construction will take place primarily at night, using several prefabricated parts.

“The footbridge is a core component of the Royalmount project,” Carbonleo Executive Vice President and Partner Claude Marcotte said. “It is essential to its success, given our goal to maximize active mobility and minimize car use. This footbridge will be heated and/or air-conditioned, depending on the weather, and will allow users to cross directly from the metro to Royalmount in complete comfort and safety.”