Canadian Grand Prix | Collective transport first, road obstructions limited as much as possible

At the dawn of the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend, where more than 100,000 people per day are expected from Friday to Sunday, the Plante administration reiterates its call for the use of public transportation. Throughout the island, road obstructions will nevertheless be limited as much as possible.

This was announced on Tuesday by the administrative spokesperson for the City of Montreal, Philippe Sabourin, and the spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD), Martin Girard, who held a meeting press on Crescent Street, the epicenter of activities surrounding the Grand Prix in the metropolis.

“We expect to have a lot of people in the city center at the end of the week, in an area with a high concentration of construction sites, so we are really asking people to opt for active or collective transportation,” indicated Mr. Sabourin immediately.

He warned that no parking spaces will be available on the Sainte-Hélène and Notre-Dame islands, except for casino customers and VIP pass holders. ” Forget that. You will not find parking,” insisted Mr. Sabourin, specifying that motorists not holding such tickets could be turned away at the entrance to the islands.

The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) will improve its service on the yellow line. “Increased traffic” is expected at the Berri-UQAM, Jean-Drapeau and Longueuil-Université-de-Sherbrooke stations, warns the carrier, which does not allow bicycles or dogs on board during the weekend.

On the road network, high traffic is expected on the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, where the sidewalk will remain closed between Sainte-Hélène Island and Montreal for work. A strong police presence will be on site.

As little work as possible

In the heart of the city, Crescent Street will be closed to cars and pedestrianized from 4 p.m. this Tuesday until the end of the Grand Prix. During the weekend, the same will apply to Saint-Laurent Boulevard, in Little Italy, between Beaubien and Jean-Talon streets. However, Peel Street will not be pedestrianized this year.

Montreal will limit work on public roads, by not granting any new construction permits during the weekend. Work already underway, such as on the Concorde Bridge, McGill Street and the Bonaventure Expressway, will continue.

Quebec, for its part, ensures that no major obstacles will be in place, with the exception of major projects such as that of the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel. Most major routes such as the Metropolitan highway, as well as highways 10, 20 and 30 or the 15 corridor between Mirabel and Montreal, will be freed. Work surrounding the repair of the Saint-Laurent overpass will continue.

“We know that people do not only come from the island and not even only from Quebec, so we ensure that all the main routes around the island are available,” assured Martin Girard.

The City’s Mobility Squad will, for its part, monitor “ghost sites”, i.e. works in place that are not in operation, in order to demobilize them if necessary. “This is not acceptable,” said Mr. Sabourin, noting that Montreal now systematically dismantles a construction site after five days of inactivity.

Last Friday, one of these “ghost construction sites” was dismantled at the corner of rue Saint-Antoine and place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, after a report made by the president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM), Michel Leblanc.