Costs rising as Montreal prepares for season finale

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The bill is growing for Montreal as two essential contracts for next year’s ePrix have been approved, and they won’t come cheap. The barriers and fencing will cost the city around $17 million, drawing criticism from opposition.

Hosting an ePrix might be a bargain compared to the cost of hosting some other motorsport events but the initial cost of getting the street track ready aren’t cheap. Two contracts were awarded this week in Montreal, totalling $16.5 million.

The first contract, to produce the barriers that will surround the track, was awarded to Deric Construction Inc. They will supply all 1600 barriers used in June’s race. However, the company has a lot of contracts running simultaneously, causing some to doubt whether they’ll be able to produce all the barriers in time.

The second contract is for setting up and taking down the barriers, which will be stored in Montreal when not in use. This six year contract was awarded to Enterprise Techline Inc. Six years, despite only next year’s ePrix secured so far.

Opposition to the event are worried about the costs of hosting the ePrix. The city has already committed to spending $4.5 million in road improvements ahead of the race, and costs for security and footbridges for residents to reach their homes, amongst other things, are still unknown.

Montreal is preparing for the ePrix to remain in the city for the long term, but only one venue has remained on the calendar for all three Formula E seasons so far.

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Image courtesy of Rajan Jangda

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