Quebec’s Ministry of Transportation commissioned the study, which also investigated the geology and geotechnical factors, and noted sandy soil near the alignment. Construction would require ground improvement in these areas.
Bruno Massicotte, an engineering professor at Polytechnique Montréal made the presentation, and told local media the sand is water-bearing, which in the case of a major earthquake would liquefy, requiring a bigger, more robust tunnel. He said the technology is new and that building this tunnel wouldn’t have been possible a decade ago.
