Hatch wins Project of the Year Award from the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association

Hatch received the 2023 International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA) Project of the Year (including renovation) Award, in the up to 50 million euros category, in recognition of the remarkable and innovative approach used in the Mount Royal Tunnel replacement and rehabilitation project. The award was presented on November 24, 2023 in Mumbai, India at the Tunnelling Asia Conference 2023, organized by the Tunnelling Association of India. The conference highlights the most ambitious underground projects from all over the world as well as the latest innovations, techniques, and methods in tunnelling.

The award honors design and construction innovations, safety performances, complexity, advances in technology, project challenges and their solutions, and other exceptional circumstances.

As part of the Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM) project, extensive replacement and rehabilitation work on the Mount Royal Tunnel (MRT) was critical to constructing a new automated light metro network across the greater Montréal area. Hatch’s team performed design for the MRT rehabilitation while also providing construction management, site technical support, and full-time site supervision during construction. The REM is Québec’s largest public transit project of the last fifty years, delivered by CDPQ Infra.

The Mount Royal Tunnel is a vital transportation artery that runs beneath the city of Montréal, Québec, connecting the island of Montréal to the city's northern suburbs. The southernmost 92 m of the existing 5 km long Mount Royal Tunnel, which was completed in 1917, required replacement due to deterioration caused by the infiltration of chloride-laden groundwater. An additional 290 m of the tunnel required rehabilitation. Hatch was responsible for the design of the work, while a joint venture that included Hatch oversaw its implementation by the NouvLR consortium.

Hatch's sequential demolition method, an innovative double arch replacement and rehabilitation approach, was developed to complete major work to meet current safety standards and to adapt the 100-year-old tunnel to the REM's electric light metro system. The design and the construction project phases were achieved while facing major challenges, which included performing work in a dense urban environment during the height of the COVID pandemic, completing construction beneath an active operating subway, and managing the presence of unexploded dynamite in the rock that posed a safety risk.

“We are very proud to receive this award from the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association,” said Gary Kramer, senior technical advisor and principal project manager for the MRT. “The Mount Royal Tunnel rehabilitation project shows Hatch’s commitment to creating cutting-edge and safety-oriented solutions to improve local and sustainable transportation.”

The work promoted the sustainable use of underground space by repurposing an existing rail tunnel for public transit use. The project employed the most cost-saving methods while meeting project durability criteria, and was completed safely, on time, and on budget.

Since 2015, the ITA has recognized remarkable achievements in tunnelling and the underground industry. Founded in 1974 by the initiative of nineteen nations, the ITA’s mission is to lead, advocate, and facilitate the development of sustainable and innovative solutions for increased, optimized, safe, and equitable use of underground space.

To learn more about the Mount Royal Tunnel project, visit the Hatch project page.

For more information, please contact:

Lindsay Janca
Global Director, Public Relations
Hatch
Tel: +1 905 403 4199
Email: media@hatch.com

About Hatch

Hatch is a global engineering, project management, and professional services firm. Whatever our clients envision, our professionals can design and build. With over six decades of business and technical experience in the mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors, we know your business and understand that your challenges are changing rapidly. We respond quickly with solutions that are smarter, more efficient, and innovative. We rely upon our 10,000 staff with experience in over 150 countries to challenge the status quo and create positive change for our clients, our employees, and the communities we serve.

Find out more on www.hatch.com.