Achi news desk-
Drivers will need to be patient this summer as the roadworks blitz begins.
There are 44 major road projects being planned by Transport Quebec and the City of Montreal on the island but that does not include the nearly 900 public works projects on local roads.
Almost every area on the island is affected by the construction projects, from local municipality roads to major highways.
The first closures start this weekend. The entire Ville-Marie tunnel will be closed to all traffic in both directions from Friday at 11pm, lasting until Monday at 5am, and Route 136 East towards the city center will be completely closed.
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“Completely closed, so no possibility to go downtown Montreal by road,” said Transports Québec spokeswoman Sarah Bensadoun.
Much of the work is planned for rebuilding the underground infrastructure and re-paving highways.
Work on the Ile-aux-Tourtes Bridge continues and part of the A40 in the West Isles is being repaved.
The closure of the metropolitan expressway at the Decarie interchange, which is used by 200,000 vehicles a day, is also planned for two weekends this spring and summer.
“We only have two weekends off but two big obstacles,” Bensadoun said.
Officials are encouraging people to use public transport to get around when roads are closed at weekends – but city buses often get stuck in traffic with other cars and very few commuter trains run at weekends.
“The train schedule is actually fixed and it’s not that easy to move around but it’s something we’re discussing with our partner in the long term,” said Eric Edström, exo spokesman, told Global News.
Many drivers may prefer to stay away from the city center to avoid the traffic mess.
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
