STM begins mass excavation for Blue Line extension project

The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has begun mass excavation for the Blue Line extension using the tunnel boring machine (TBM) Lisette. The TBM will dispose of 300,000 cubic meters (392,000 cubic yards) of rock and install the 14,300 concrete voussoirs that make up the tunnel walls. The rock extracted from the tunnel will be sent to the Saint-Michel quarry, located near the Vertières shipyard, and can be reused by the city of Montreal. 

“We are very proud to announce that the tunnel boring machine will be named Lisette in honor of Lisette St Onge, who became the first woman subway operator in 1981,” said Blue Line Project Executive Director Maha Clour. “Lisette has paved the way for a generation and embodies the values of innovation and progress associated with Blue Line Project. The public’s choice is a tribute to an inspiring figure and trailblazer who marked the history of Montréal’s subway and public transit.” 

Starting at the future Vertières station at Boulevard Pie-IX and Rue Jean-Talon, the TBM will help build 4.6 kilometers (2.86 miles) of the six-kilometer (3.73-mile) tunnel extending the Blue Line. In the coming months, the TBM will be seen crossing the transept of intermediate stations before heading above ground at the future Anjou station in early 2028.  

“The launch of the tunnel boring machine marks a historic moment for mobility in Montréal’s east end. Public transit is of paramount importance to our government, and our investment in this project is a concrete example of that. We are working for the quality of life and mobility of Montrealers,” said Quebec Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility Benoit Charette. 

When complete, the project will add five new stations east of Saint-Michel station, bringing the Blue Line into Anjou, Montréal. The project is a collaboration between five partner organizations: the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable, the Autorité régionale du transport métropolitain, the city of Montréal, the Société québécoise des infrastructures and the STM.