The some 120,000 drivers who use the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine bridge-tunnel every day will have to be patient or creative as the huge repair of this crucial artery begins on Monday. Employees and employers rack their brains to find a way around the problem.
“I think it’s going to be unlivable. Like thousands of other Montrealers, François Chassaing fears the partial closure of the bridge-tunnel for the next three years. His plan B? “I imagine having to leave at 5 a.m. rather than 6:30 and 7 a.m. and come home later. I will spend less time with my baby and my wife. »
“The other solution will be the Jacques-Cartier bridge, but, I imagine, that one too will be very, very blocked. It’s a lot of stress, a lot of wasted time, and I can’t take public transport, I have clients all over Quebec, ”he laments.
To compensate for these apprehended delays, some companies on the South Shore are thinking about opening “satellite offices” in Montreal, confirms Stéphanie Brodeur, General Manager of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the South Shore “I a large company with 30% of their employees coming from Montreal. All of this is causing great concern. She plans to open satellite offices in Montreal for employees who cannot cross. Is this going to happen? I do not know yet. »
The other solution will be the Jacques-Cartier bridge, but, I imagine, that one too will be very, very blocked. It’s a lot of stress, a lot of wasted time, and I can’t take public transportation, I have clients all over Quebec.
The idea of housing employees in hotels on the South Shore is also circulating. “Is it viable long term with a family and all? I do not know. Teleworking appears, in his opinion, to be the best solution to avoid congestion. For many workers and, especially, truckers, this option is impossible.
“Solidarity between competitors” could also save time and money, she notes. “I have a carrier who is planning to rent space at [un autre transporteur] for his tractors, and the other will rent him a small space for his trailers. »
The Port of Montreal, which sees 38% of its truck traffic pass through the bridge-tunnel, is also working to find the right solution. Teleworking, reimbursement of the opus card, internal site to encourage carpooling, opening of terminals earlier or later: everything is on the table.
“It’s all already in place. For the rest, we will really follow the evolution of the situation, ”said Renée Larouche, director of communications for the port.
Stéphanie Brodeur also believes that many motorists will only reconsider their options after the first few days in traffic. “That’s where they’re going to make the decisions. »
What are your options?
Public transit ridership is currently only 70% of its pre-pandemic level. It is on this point that Transport Québec insists in order to “mitigate” the impact of the work.
Residents of Boucherville, Beloeil, Sainte-Julie and Varennes will be able to use their municipality’s incentive parking lot to take advantage of free transit lines (RTL-61, RTL-461, exo-520, exo-521 and exo-532). Transit passes will be given free of charge to users so that they can continue their travels in Montreal free of charge.
All buses, taxis and cars with more than three occupants will be able to travel in the shoulder lane to the tunnel entrances, avoiding the bulk of congestion. “Once you’re in the tunnel, things go smoothly,” puts Louis-André Bertrand, spokesperson for Transport Québec, into perspective.
These mechanics are only due to a single accident. One collision, and everything could stop for a 30-minute towing operation. There are a little less than a hundred collisions annually in the bridge-tunnel.
The Longueuil metro can guarantee travel. The number of departures on the yellow line will be increased by 25% between 6 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. in the coming years.
The maritime option is also available via the river shuttle between the municipal wharf in Boucherville and the Promenade-Bellerive park in eastern Montreal. This service is available until the ice cream arrives. Next year, a second river shuttle will provide a link between the municipal wharf in Boucherville and the Old Port of Montreal.
It will take three times as long to get to Montreal from the South Shore and four times as long for the reverse trip, according to the most pessimistic estimates from Transport Quebec.