Major construction along the Lachine Canal is expected to limit access to bike paths until December 2019.
The north side of the path will be closed between the Sir-George-Étienne-Cartier footbridge and Lock No. 4.
Cyclists will be able to use the south side of the canal as a detour.
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Further west in LaSalle, both the north and south sides of the bike path will be off-limits between de la Côte-Saint-Paul and du Musée roads.
People who use that path to get to work will have to find another way as no alternative has been proposed by Parcs Canada.
The federal government agency owns the land.
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“I think I’m going to have to stop biking because I have no idea how I’m going to get to work,” said Julie Santaguida, who bikes 23 km from Pointe-Claire to the city each day.
“At least give us an alternative route or something to help us get through. It’s frustrating.”
Closures are already creating some potentially dangerous situations.
One part of the bike path is blocked by a fence, pushing riders toward the street.
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“There are a lot of cars on the road and they don’t really like bikes near them, so it’s a bit scary,” said Santaguida.
Parcs Canada was not available for comment by deadline.
The LaSalle borough told Global News it has dispatched a team to make sure things are safe for cyclists near the construction sites.
“When we found out there were no signs indicating to cyclists what they should do, we were a bit surprised,” said Lasalle assistant city manager Pierre Dupuis.
“We contacted Parcs Canada to give them some advice.”
Over 1 million people use the paths along the canal each year.
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The federal government is spending $170 million over five years to re-do the lights, aging walls and more.
Hydro-Quebec will have to move poles and cut down some trees.
Commuters say they understand the short-term pain will lead to long-term gain.
“I’m an engineer, myself. I understand, sometimes you have to close things to work on them to make it better,” said cyclist Mathieu Gagné.
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