The City of Montreal has announced the closure of Circuit Gilles Villenueve to cyclists for four months starting May 8, leading angry opponents to submit a petition to keep it open.
Mayor Denis Coderre said at city council Monday that the closure was due to safety concerns.
The construction work includes a 65,000-seat amphitheatre, but cyclists like David Tibbets say it is displacing them for the benefit of Evenko, the company hosting the events.
“We’re all taxpayers and we would like a level of respect for our contributions,” he told Global News.
Construction on Île Sainte-Hélène has forced events that are normally held there to move to neighbouring Île Notre-Dame.
“The execution’s been terrible, with poor planning and poor communication,” city councillor Alain Vaillancourt told Global News.
The circuit is scheduled to reopen to recreational traffic on Sept. 4.
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