Fences, cones and heavy construction equipment line a main strip in downtown Montreal.
The bright orange lines have been drawn along Ste-Catherine Street as work begins Monday on the second phase of the redevelopment project.
The heart of the city will be under construction for the next two years.
According to the city, construction company Eurovia will be ripping up the street to replace sewer lines and pipes.
Officials said the underground infrastructure is more than a century old and obsolete.
Archaeological digs will also be performed in the area during the second phase.
Once complete, the city says the sidewalks will be wider for more pedestrian traffic and covered by 30 newly planted trees.
The excavation work will be conducted between Mansfield and Peel Street.
Vehicle traffic will be detoured around the two-block site.
This project is an extension of Montreal’s ongoing modernization of Ste-Catherine Street.
The section of De Bleury and Mansfield, phase one, was completed last year.
The downtown merchants association says there is worry among retailers about how the work will affect business.
“For merchants or anyone in business, it is quite concerning — and understandably so,” said Glenn Castanheira, general manager of Montreal Centre-Ville. “There are a lot of factors tied up with the construction site that merchants can’t control and they can have dire effects on their business.”
The work will be conducted six days a week between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Construction is expected to be completed by the year 2025.
Pedestrians will continue to have access to the storefronts, city officials said.
Fences will be installed along the sidewalk, which will be reduced while construction is ongoing.
Montreal Centre-Ville is assuring business owners the finished product will be beneficial to them — something that has been proven with the completed phase one, between De Bleury and Mansfield Street.
Castanheira said data from the completion of the first phase of the project has been positive. “We’re seeing a lot of new business openings there. Foot traffic is very high. Visitors absolutely love the new Sainte-Catherine.”
The full redevelopment project will be done in sections and will stretch along Ste-Catherine Street between Bleury and Atwater.
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