44 Major construction sites: Expect another chaotic summer on Greater Montreal roads

Attention travelers who don't want to miss their flight: Patriots Day weekend kicks off the chaotic construction season on the sensitive stretch of Highway 40 toward Montreal-Trudeau Airport in a big way.

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“This is one of the biggest weekend disruptions we've had in Quebec in recent years. We have to understand that we're blocking not one, but two major highways, the 15 and the 40,” warned transportation planning expert Pierre Barrio.

Highway 40, between de l'Acadie and Décarie boulevards, will be completely closed westbound on two weekends, Patriot's Day and another to be determined in the summer.

It is the nerve center of the metropolis where 200,000 vehicles ply every day.

“The consequences could be nightmarish if people don't take care to plan their journeys,” warned Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD) spokeswoman Sarah Bensdown during the annual press briefing to showcase the spring and summer projects.

44 major projects

In total, 44 major construction sites will complicate the lives of motorists, six fewer than last year.

Hot spots to look for are downtown Montreal and the Highway 40 corridor, especially West Island and the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge area (see below).

“44 construction sites are not necessarily less impactful than 51 construction sites. But the good news is that we are within several full points. There are also those who have been riding for years. We are nearing the end,” commented Pierre Barrio.

While work on the Ville-Marie and Viger tunnels will be completed at the end of fall, new infrastructure projects will cause headaches in the west until 2026, along the streets of Saint-Jacques and Saint-Antoine (see below).

Meanwhile, the construction site on Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest continues for a second year, with several sections closed from May to October.

Local barriers

This is without taking into account the many local constraints.

In the east of the city, the Rapid Bus Service (SRB) construction site continues on Boulevard Pi-IX, with a full section of eastbound traffic closed until December between Avenue Pierre-Coubertin and Rue Notre-Dame. estimate

In the north, motorists will have to deal with the SRB's works on the express bike network and Henri-Bourassa boulevard between Marcellin-Wilson and Lajeunesse streets.

Five projects to watch

Highway 40

During two weekends of complete closure, including the Patriot Day long weekend from May 17 to 21, the westbound Metropolitan Autoroute between Boulevard de l'Acadie and Autoroute Décarie can experience monster traffic.

Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Bridge-Tunnel

Megaconstruction continues with two lanes on the Montreal side and the south coast side. An update on the status of the work is planned for this summer.

West Island

Road reconstruction work continues between Morgan boulevards in Baie-d'Urfe and Saint-Charles in Kirkland. All three lanes are available at all times, except for some overnight closures, the dates of which need to be monitored.

Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge

Bridge work will continue throughout the summer, resulting in the complete closure of this sector of Highway 40 on some weekends, the dates of which have not yet been determined.

Downtown Montreal

Major infrastructure works will cause headaches in the west of downtown, with part of rue Saint-Antoine and rue Saint-Jacques completely closed during the Christmas holidays in late July.