After having long demanded the extension of Highway 19, Bois-des-Filion now fears being “cut in two” by the new infrastructures. The mayor calls for a “more open” dialogue with Quebec to avoid the worst.
“The height of this viaduct will create a cut that will no longer allow views from east to west. It would create a very important visual screen that we want to avoid at all costs, “said the mayor of Bois-des-Filion, Gilles Blanchette, in an interview with The Press.
For several years, Bois-des-Filion has been calling for the completion of Highway 19, judging in particular that it will allow residents to get around more quickly. But one year from the start of the work, his administration is calling for three urgent measures: first, to “lower” the height of the projected overpass on Boulevard Adolphe-Chapleau, in order to preserve the views and better integrate the structure into the urban.
PHOTO KARENE-ISABELLE JEAN-BAPTISTE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The mayor of Bois-des-Filion, Gilles Blanchette
Then, “maintain access to the Place du Parc sector” by redeveloping the intersection of avenue de l’Érablière, which the Ministry plans to close completely for the time being. “If we go ahead, we will lose an access ramp, so people will have to converge all in the same place at the exit of the highway. It will create significant transit traffic, ”said the mayor.
The third measure: move back the noise barrier in order to preserve the quality of life of the residents of the 39e Avenue, who will otherwise find themselves “with a wall in the front of their home”. “We are asking to bring the noise barrier closer to the highway to gain some vision. There would then be a slightly less massive impression in front of the properties, ”continues the elected official.
“Yes, it’s a highway, there are bound to be inconveniences, but we want to minimize them as much as possible,” insists Mr. Blanchette, whose administration says it has submitted traffic studies and noise studies to the Ministry of Transports (MTQ) “to demonstrate the merits of its requests”.
An ingrained “trauma”
Mayor Blanchette also recalls that Bois-des-Filion had already been “cut in half” 50 years ago, in April 1973, “to reveal a route of the highway which ultimately never came”. Since then, the only link running from east to west is Adolphe-Chapleau Boulevard, where the elevated bridge is planned to be built.
“We still live with this trauma. Several properties disappeared in the 1970s. No one wants to relive that, ”breathes the mayor in an interview.
In recent months, he says he has had “several meetings” with the Ministry of Transport, without however obtaining guarantees.
Yes, they listen to us, but nothing concrete comes out of it. Each time we bring a point of view, it is not really taken into account. And it’s been that way since 2019.
Gilles Blanchette, Mayor of Bois-des-Filion, about his relationship with the Ministry of Transport
He believes he has “good listening” from the new Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault, with whom he hopes to resolve the impasse.
Quebec “open” to reassessing elements
At the Ministère des Transports, we say we are “open to reassessing certain elements, respecting the various constraints present and taking into account the needs of all stakeholders”. “The project is at the completion stage, but the design is still in progress, particularly for the northern section of the future Highway 19 located in Bois-des-Filion,” said spokesperson Martin Girard.
On the question of the raised bridge, for example, Quebec says it is working “with a firm of architects to analyze different concepts”, taking into account “geotechnical and hydraulic constraints and road safety standards, but also considering the recommendations of the BAPE [Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement] “. “For example, in terms of hydraulic constraints, the proximity of the Rivière des Mille-Îles and the height of the water table represent a challenge for the design of the highway in this sector,” continues Mr. Girard.
As for access to Place du Parc, the spokesperson argues that integrating the end of a motorway in a harmonious way “represents a challenge”. “A possible closure of Avenue de l’Érablière could be necessary for a safety issue, insofar as Route 335 will become a highway at this height,” he maintains. Nevertheless, several options are still “under analysis”.
Moving back the noise barrier to preserve the quality of life of residents is also complex, according to the ministry, the latter being necessary “in order to limit the noise of the highway and the multipurpose path that will be used by off-road vehicles” . “This noise barrier is also required by the environmental decree authorizing the Highway 19 extension project. […] However, we are analyzing several scenarios including the possibility of moving a section of the wall in addition to working to improve its architectural appearance,” concludes Mr. Girard.