Drivers, it’s time to buckle up. It’s expected to be a tough drive this summer in and around the Greater Montreal area.
On Monday afternoon, Transports Québec announced this summer’s roadwork.
Areas like the Turcot Interchange, the Champlain Bridge and the Bonaventure Expressway may cause the most traffic congestion.
READ MORE: Navigating the concrete jungle of the Turcot Interchange
There will also be work on Highway 10 and the Deux-Montagnes commuter line, which is needed for the preliminary building of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM).
READ MORE: REM construction could bring transit headaches
“On Highway 10, we’re going to have reconfiguration of the highway starting at the end of June,” said Jean-Vincent Lacroix, spokesperson for the REM.
“At the end of the day, there’s still going to be two lanes on the highway, but instead of having two service lanes, there’s going to be one.”
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In total, there will be around 40 construction sites this summer.
Some areas that will be affected are the following:
- Maintenance work on the l’Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge on the 40.
- Closures everywhere in the Turcot Interchange; work will continue to dismantle the 720 Ouest
- Work will continue for the building of the new Champlain Bridge
- Infrastructure work on de la Savane between Decarie Blvd. and Jean-Talon
- Infrastructure work will close Van Horne Ave., between Decarie Blvd. and Victoria Ave.
Transports Quebec is advising people to plan their trip ahead of time before hitting the road.
READ MORE: Avoid the Turcot Interchange until 2019, says Transports Quebec
“Be sure to consult Quebec 511. Listen to the radio, TV shows, to get an update on traffic and to know where the closures are. Also, when it’s possible, use public transport,” said Transports Québec spokesperson Martin Girard.
‘There’s no real reason to avoid the city’
Quebec’s transport minister is also warning of a “difficult summer” when it comes to road repairs in the metropolis.
André Fortin admitted that last weekend was even more congested than usual – not only because it was the Tour de L’Île, but also because work was being done on three bridges.
READ MORE: Cyclist transported to hospital after suffering a heart attack during Tour de l’Île
At the same time, there were not enough employees working at the STM station in Longueuil. Fortin said that he’s spoken with the public transit agency and they assured him this problem won’t happen again.
Fortin suggested using public transit as much as possible to avoid construction throughout the summer.
“There’s no reason to avoid the city,” he said. “There’s a number of festivals, a number of attractions that you’ll want to see,”
“This weekend was particularly difficult and hopefully that will stabilize over the course of the summer.”
— with files from Global’s Raquel Fletcher