“Hell” was feared in the northern suburbs of Quebec

A sign that summer is here, orange cones will soon multiply on the roads. Major projects announced earlier this spring by the Department of Transportation are causing serious frustration for motorists.

In the capital, above the Rue de la Faune, a project to reconstruct the overpasses of Highway 73 is attracting attention.

In the Quebec government's list of “major projects”, it creates several equally “major” barriers in the southbound direction, at the exits and entrances of rue de la Faune and rue Georges-Muir.

Through December, long-term full closures remain on the calendar. Access from Georges-Muir, as well as the entrance (40 days) and exit 154 from La Foun are always closed.

During this period, two lanes of reduced speed and width will be open in each direction between Jean-Talon Boulevard and Georges-Muir Street. At this elevation, traffic travels in the opposite direction on the north carriageway of Highway 73.

Similarly, a partial reconstruction of the rue de la Foun is also planned this year. The arterial will be “fully” condemned from June 14 to 17 in the construction site section.

Major barriers are currently planned to be in place by June 13 to begin demolition of the overpass next weekend. However, adverse weather conditions or operational constraints may disrupt schedules.

But one thing is true.

“There will be an impact on traffic,” the spokesperson did not hide.

Episodes of “overcrowding” should be more pronounced during the morning peak period.

So much so that, during working hours, the Ministry of Transport invites road users to “change their habits”, plan their journeys or turn to public transport “if possible”. However, strictly speaking, “additional mitigation measures” are not envisaged.

Difficult weeks are expected

These recommendations do not change the fact that the lives of residents of Saint-Emile, Upper Charlesbourg and the northern towns who have to be transported by the sector could be more difficult for several weeks.

On social networks, the imminent announcement of the construction site has raised the ire of motorists, who are planning “hell” to travel between home, work and children's school. In their comments, some raised that they were already experiencing “congestion problems” in the morning.

The fear of being alone in your neighborhood is shared by many Internet users. We cannot fail to point out, especially since public transportation is less frequent and efficient than in the city center.

Although several mark detours have been proposed, for many, the option of relying on the municipal network does not seem like a feasible route. It has been argued that residential streets and other secondary arteries are also affected by various interventions by Quebec City, accusing some officials of “very poor planning”.

Between them, Ms. Lord assured that the regional and municipal projects are actually “coordinated”. The one in progress on rue de la Foun, near Boulevard de la Colline, should be finished by mid-June.

Again

This corner of the city, like the head of the bridges or the Henri-IV road, will be full of cones for another year. Road users who have felt stressed for many summers are not wrong.

The Laurentian Expressway is undergoing a major expansion, with the Ministry of Transport adding a third lane, which will enter service in 2022.

And it is not finished.

After fixing the southbound this year, the transit site will have to be moved north to repeat a similar operation on the overpass targeted for reconstruction next year. After two years of work, completion is not expected until 2026.

According to figures from Quebec, the total cost is about 24.2 million.

So it's not tomorrow that the citizens of the northern border will see the end of the work in their rearview mirror.

In statistics, traffic in construction area

• A-73: 66,000 vehicles including 5% trucks
• Exit number is 154 – Rue de la Faune / Wendake A-73 South: 2,000 vehicles
• Access to the A-73 south from Rue de la Faune: 10,500 vehicles
• Access to A-73 South from George-Muir Street: 7,000 vehicles

* Annual Average Daily Flows (ADD), Ministry of Transport