MONTREAL – Orange cones, construction signs, trucks and of course, lots of cars.
It’s a sight that’s all too familiar for commuters in Montreal West – and starting Thursday, it’ll only get worse.
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Boulevard, which links Saint-Jacques Street to the highway, will be reduced from four lanes to one.
The Angrignon Boulevard. overpass, above Highway 20 will be closed for four weeks, there will be lane reductions on Notre-Dame Street West and the entrance of Saint-Pierre Avenue to Highway 20 East will also be closed.
“We actually re-did 27 traffic lights to synchronize them,” said Sarah Bensadoun, a spokesperson with Transports Quebec.
“We also added traffic lights in three particular intersections: Montreal West, Lachine and Lasalle. This way, it will facilitate traffic in the area.”
This is the second major source of traffic for west-end commuters this year.
In March, Transports Quebec closed Saint-Jacques Street at Decarie Boulevard until Sept. 2017.
READ MORE: Driving headaches could soon be the norm in NDG
Stephanie Couillard, a representative for NDG’s citizen committee said residents have had enough.
“You can see NDG has become crowded with traffic that comes from everywhere else and we’re being used as a bypass for all the roadwork,” she said.
Couillard said the increase in cars and traffic is affecting residents’ everyday life.
“There’s tons of kids here, there’s a lot of senior citizens,” she said.
“Crossing the street is a race.”
NDG City Councillor Peter McQueen said Transports Quebec should provide NDG with extra buses while the Turcot project is underway.
“The MTQ’s got to do something special – give some extra money for more buses, for a longer bus route on the 90,” he told Global News.
“Maybe even giving us some kind of reduced fares in NDG to encourage people to get on the buses.”
Until then, McQueen said residents will need to exercise patience.
“Don’t do anything stupid while you’re driving, follow the rules and so forth,” he said.
“Take the bus, if you can this winter – but also lobby, help us lobby.”
Transports Quebec said construction should be done by the end of 2020.
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