Ten months without an elevator between the upper and lower city

The useful mechanical link on rue Saint-Vallier Est will undergo a period of work starting next year.

Officials from the Building Management Service responsible for its maintenance said last week that the interventions would result in service outages for several months in 2025.

“It is a project to repair the elevator and the building envelope. Service interruptions are expected,” explained Annie Blackburn, director of Quebec City’s major construction projects department.

According to information from Le Soleil, work could begin around mid-2024. In a call for bids posted online, the city notes that “there will be a planned ten-month outage of service in 2025 for work on the elevator, but this deadline and dates may be adjusted over time.” The contract with a private supplier must remain in effect from 1 March 2024 to February 28, 2027.

“Since the Faubourg elevator project is under study, the cost and schedule are not yet known. The city will be able to provide more information on this topic as soon as it becomes aware of the results of the ongoing analyses,” explains spokesman Jean-Pascal Lavoie.

Harm reduction

However, the municipal administration says it is immediately examining the most appropriate period to close the Faubourg elevator, an “essential” facility link for pedestrians and people with limited mobility between the upper and lower cities of Quebec.

However, it did not specify how to replace an elevator that is out of service during work.

“We are working on mitigation measures to compensate when the elevator is under renovation. We have not yet determined exactly The method of workBut we are working on it and it will be well determined according to which period will be the least harmful. “You have to think about usage, but also times of year,” Ms. Blackburn explains.

Built in 1942, the Faubourg elevator is the only device of its kind in Quebec City.

Moving back and forth for nearly 80 years, the link has undergone transformations over time. Between 1996 and 1998, Quebec City carried out major restoration work, giving the building its current appearance, which is similar to the original.