Traffic is likely to be very heavy during the long weekend on the Métropolitaine highway, between the Laurentides and Décarie interchanges, due to asphalting work. “Considerable” congestion is expected and motorists are urged to avoid the area if possible.
This was announced Thursday by Mobilité Montréal, the committee responsible for coordinating major projects in the metropolitan region, warning that a “similar closure will be necessary again this year,” during the summer season. Considerable congestion is “anticipated”.
Asphalting work must in fact be carried out on several sections of this busy route over the coming months. Thus, traffic will be completely blocked in the west direction, from Friday evening to Tuesday morning, between exit 70 towards Highway 15-north and the entrance at Cavendish Boulevard. Detours will be in place via the highway service road, namely Chemin de la Côte-de-Liesse.
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PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE MONTREAL MOBILITY SITE
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PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE MONTREAL MOBILITY SITE
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Otherwise, Quebec recommends taking highways 440 and 13, 20 or 30 as alternative routes. This work will also force the closure of the Stinson Street entrance, as well as the ramp coming from Highway 15 South in the Laurentides interchange. In the Décarie interchange, the ramp from Highway 15-north will also have to be closed.
Heavily overloaded, the Metropolitan Autoroute is already considered one of the worst sectors in the province in terms of congestion.
“We are talking about a very busy sector, with peaks of 200,000 vehicles per day, so for people who will go to the airport, for example, we will have to be extremely forward-looking,” said a spokesperson last week. words of the Ministry of Transport, Sarah Bensadoun, speaking of this obstacle.
Other obstacles
Elsewhere on the island of Montreal, one of the three lanes of the Bonaventure highway will have to be partially closed in both directions. Towards the west and the city center, it will be blocked between the entrance to boulevard Gaétan-Laberge and exit 2 towards avenue Pierre-Dupuy, all until next Thursday, 5 a.m.
Heading east and the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge, one lane will be cut between the Peel Basin and the Victoria Bridge until Friday, March 24, 5 a.m.
From June, the speed will be lowered to 50 km/h on the Bonaventure highway, while extensive maintenance work must take place during the summer on this major road.
In Centre-du-Québec, two of the four lanes of the Laviolette bridge will once again have to be closed between Trois-Rivières and Bécancour. Only one lane will be available in each direction. Motorists coming from Quebec and Montreal are invited to use highways 20 or 40 to go from one shore to the other.
Finally, on the South Shore of Montreal, the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) will have to be closed, this Saturday and Sunday between 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., due to “a systems update”. Bus shuttles will be in place to provide service between Brossard and the city center during this period.