Drivers using the Angrignon Boulevard Overpass were bracing for a difficult commute Monday morning — yet the drive wasn’t as bad as many feared.
“I’m here since what, a minute and a half, and I’m already halfway across the Lachine Canal. It’s not that bad this morning,” one driver told Global News from his car on Monday.
A big reason traffic ran relatively smoothly has to do with police stationed at the ramps to the overpass. Officers were reducing traffic to only one lane when a semi truck or bus had to turn onto the span.
The question, however, is how long police will remain stationed at chokepoints along the overpass.
According to LaSalle Coun. Richard Deschamps, the borough is currently in negotiations with the provincial transport ministry to ensure they remain stationed on the overpass in the coming months.
“We had two lanes in each direction. It was already a mess,” Deschamps told Global News in a telephone interview. “That’s why we asked to have police officers to help with fluidity,” he said. “We’re going to have negotiations with the MTQ to keep that in force.”
Deschamps warned that Monday morning’s soft-open likely wasn’t indicative of what lies ahead in the coming months. “For sure it’s going to have an impact,” he said.
The closures of the overpass are slated to run for about a year as workers continue construction and demolition of the Turcot Interchange. The overpass is a crucial link that connects neighbourhoods like NDG to boroughs like LaSalle and Verdun over Highway 20.
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