Polytechnique Montréal is set to undergo a major expansion and renovation as part of a $350-million modernization project aimed at boosting Quebec’s engineering capacity and supporting the province’s economic ambitions.

Outgoing Quebec Premier François Legault announced Tuesday that work is expected to begin next month on the multi-year project, which includes the enlargement of the Armand-Bombardier Building, the addition of a new wing, upgrades to part of the main pavilion and the redevelopment of outdoor spaces.

School officials say the investment will allow Polytechnique to accommodate more than 500 additional students and expand its research and teaching capabilities.

“This is a major project for us,” said Polytechnique Montréal director general Maud Cohen. “We’ve been growing our student population and our professorship for 25 years.”

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The modernization will include new state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment, with a focus on areas such as aerospace engineering, innovative materials and hydrology.

Nearly $300 million of the total funding will come from the Quebec government, with the remainder provided by Polytechnique Montréal and the federal government.

The Coalition Avenir Québec government says the project is intended to make Quebec a more attractive place to study and to help ensure the province has the skilled workforce needed to carry out major infrastructure and economic projects.

Construction is scheduled to be completed by 2031.

Critics, however, question the government’s broader commitment to higher education, pointing to deteriorating infrastructure at CEGEPs across the province.

More than 60 per cent of CEGEP infrastructure requires repairs or renovations, according to post-secondary advocates, who describe the situation as increasingly precarious.

“We know that in some places the CEGEPs are still able to make some repairs, but it comes from funds that are also meant to hire people and provide services to students,” said one critic.

Legault has defended the government’s record, noting that Quebec has increased its 10-year infrastructure plan from $100 billion to $164 billion.

“There are demands from universities, colleges, schools, hospitals and roads,” Legault said. “But we also have to take into consideration that we cannot increase the infrastructure plan to $200 billion.”