Quebec claims to have opted for the “least restrictive” scenario with a view to closing three lanes out of six in the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel, as of October 31. However, the first preparatory work blitzes will take place on October 21, with the complete closure of the northbound tunnel for three days.
Posted at 1:30 p.m.
“Closing two lanes towards Montreal and one lane towards the South Shore is the least restrictive scenario overall for users in terms of travel. There would have been more congestion if we had only put one lane in the direction of Montreal, ”explained Thursday the director of major road projects in Montreal, Martin Giroux.
Concretely, motorists will have to deal with major obstacles from October 21. That weekend, between Friday evening and Monday morning for 60 continuous hours, the tunnel will be completely closed in the northerly direction in order to install lane usage lights for the concrete barriers. Marking and signaling operations will also be carried out.
The objective of the renovations that we carry out is to ensure the durability of the structure for the next 40 years, without having to make other major interventions.
Martin Giroux, director of major road projects in Montreal
From October 24, it will also be necessary to plan for “night closures during the week to complete certain activities”, say the authorities. Then, between October 28 and 30, the Louis-Hippolyte-Lafontaine tunnel will be completely closed in a southerly direction, in order to install diversion lanes and, again, concrete barriers.
“Of course there will be an increase in travel time to access the tunnel. In the direction of Montreal, the travel times will be three times higher than the period before the works, so in 2021. And in the direction of the South Shore, we will move to travel times that are four times longer, ” nevertheless conceded the engineer for the entrepreneur Renouveau Lafontaine, Geneviève Campeau.
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IMAGE PROVIDED BY THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTS OF QUEBEC
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IMAGE PROVIDED BY THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTS OF QUEBEC
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It estimates that up to 60% of daily tunnel users will have to adapt their habits, mostly motorists. “Mathematically, it would have to come to that. That’s why it’s important to find solutions to transit to the South Shore, in particular,” she said, adding that this is “the biggest obstacle” of her career. .
Mitigation measures
Precisely, the Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) ensures that it will put several mitigation measures in place, both for motorists and users of public transport. A real-time display of the travel time to reach the tunnel will be available, in addition to an increased police presence and responders or tugs near the tunnel.
“We will also have five free incentive parking lots in place, with approximately 800 spaces added in recent months,” confirmed Assistant Deputy Minister Jean Séguin.
The De Mortagne, De Touraine and Belœil parking lots will each have several hundred additional spaces, for a total of 2,400 spaces available. The bus lines that leave from these parking lots will become free, and will culminate in the Radisson metro using reserved lanes, with a frequency every 10 minutes. In general, several local bus lines will be improved, as shown in the map below.
IMAGE PROVIDED BY THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTS OF QUEBEC
Two free tickets will be distributed free of charge at the Radisson metro station to the users concerned, between 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. every day, for six weeks. On the yellow line, a metro car will be added during rush hour, under an agreement with the Société de transport de Montréal (STM).
On the North Shore, lines 82, 120 and 125 of the Société de transport de Laval (STL) will also be improved. New local lines will also see the light of day, in particular the 532 from Varennes. “We will have a good capacity to transport people,” assures Mr. Séguin.
Major rehabilitation of the tunnel began in July 2020, but the structure turned out to be much more deteriorated than expected. The vault, for example, would have 60% more damage than anticipated. Quebec will absorb all cost overruns, estimated at $900 million. The work should be completed in 2026.