The busiest sector of Quebec’s road network will once again have to be closed all weekend to resume shoddy work carried out during the pandemic. The government is already anticipating major traffic jams and is asking motorists to avoid Montreal, going instead to Laval or the South Shore.
In fact, we learned in a press release issued by the Ministry of Transport on Monday that “asphalting work will require the complete closure of the Metropolitan Highway in the westbound direction” over the next weekend, from September 13 to 16. This is the second time in a few months that this section has had to be closed; the same exercise was done last May.
Quebec anticipates “considerable congestion” in the closure area, which will extend from the Laurentides interchange to Cavendish Boulevard, between exit 70 and the entrance at Cavendish. At this location, traffic will be diverted onto the service road, in other words, Chemin de la Côte-de-Liesse.
This section of the highway affected by the work is one of the busiest sectors of the road network. The Ministry of Transport records an average of 186,000 vehicle crossings per day. Traffic is so dense that traffic jams form day and night, both during the week and on weekends.
Poor quality bitumen
All of this is happening because the asphalt work was originally done poorly. In 2022, the Ministry acknowledged that work would have to be “reworked 100%” on this segment, as the bitumen used by the contractor Roxboro Excavation was “not of good quality.”
At the time, it was suggested that cost overruns, which would be borne by the private sector, could reach more than 10 million.
According to what was reported at the time, the government had noticed that “a little bit of bleeding” was appearing on the surface of the highway. Usually associated with too much bitumen in the asphalt, this phenomenon causes the bitumen to rise upwards. The road therefore gave “the impression of being wet”, which posed safety issues.
Laboratory tests had also confirmed that the bitumen used by the contractor “was not of good quality” and that part of its composition was of a “lower class” compared to what had been requested.
“We risked ending up with a more rapid deterioration of the road surface,” insisted a manager of the Ministry of Transport, Fadi Moubayed, when questioned on this subject.
Optional detours
In anticipation of the weekend, the Ministry of Transport is therefore suggesting four “optional routes” to motorists, namely highways 440, 13, 20 or 30.
Several other default closures are expected over the weekend, namely the ramp from Highway 15 South to Highway 40 West, but also the entrance to Stinson Street to Highway 40 West and the ramp leading from Highway 40 West to Highway 15 South. Exit 64 of Highway 40 West will also have to be blocked.
The obstruction could be cancelled in the event of adverse weather conditions or operational constraints, particularly if the weather is rainy. Sunny weather is currently forecast over the weekend.