Quebec taxpayers will have to pay almost $1 billion more for the renovation of the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Tunnel linking Montreal and the South Shore, the provincial Transport Ministry confirmed late on Monday.

The ministry said in a statement the total bill for the work now stands at $2.5 billion, an increase of $970 million that will be paid to the contractor in charge of the work.

The price hike had been forecast in August 2022 by then-transport minister François Bonnardel. Citing greater-than-expected deterioration in the tunnel’s interior, Bonnardel said an additional $900 million would be necessary to properly complete the job.

The provincial government has argued that the renovations will ensure the durability of the infrastructure “for 40 years.”

In 2020, the projected costs for the project stood at $1.4 billion.

The construction is expected to disrupt traffic in the tunnel until November 2025.

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