The Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) and the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) denied on Tuesday the information according to which the Ville-Marie tunnel would be closed to automobile traffic during the holding of the Conference of the UN on Biodiversity (COP15) from December 7 to 19 in Montreal.
During the city council meeting on Tuesday morning, the leader of the opposition at Montreal City Hall, Aref Salem, affirmed that the authorities intended to close the Ville-Marie tunnel during the COP15 as a safety measure. The elected official urged Mayor Valérie Plante to inform Montrealers of the obstacles that will be imposed during this international event. “This is a glaring example of this administration’s lack of transparency. According to Aref Salem, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) would have requested the establishment of two security zones during COP15.
The mayor did not want to confirm the closure of the Ville-Marie highway. “This is an event which, in terms of security, is managed in partnership with the RCMP, the Sûreté du Québec and the SPVM. So no, I can’t tell you if Rue Sanguinet or the south gate of the Palais des Congrès is going to be closed. But I can tell you one thing, it’s that everything will be put in place to ensure that there is fluidity and that people can circulate, “said the mayor.
Joined by The duty, the MTQ assured that for the moment, there was no question of closing the Ville-Marie highway. “In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Throughout COP15, the ministry will make sure to limit the number of obstructions on the highway network in the downtown Montreal area. The only exception will be for maintenance operations that cannot be postponed or winter maintenance operations such as snow removal and de-icing,” explained Sarah Bensadoun, spokesperson for the MTQ.
“The closure of the Ville-Marie tunnel is not planned during the COP15, but an increased police presence is planned to ensure the fluidity of traffic in the sector”, for its part indicated the SPVM by email. .
Valérie Plante assured that if there were to be street closures, the information would be communicated “in due time” to citizens with the partners involved in the file.
This response did not satisfy the opposition, which judges that a few weeks before the event, Montrealers should be informed without delay of the impediments to come.
COP15 is likely to require a major police deployment since heads of state and 12,000 delegates from 185 countries are expected for the event. The SPVM expects to have to spend at least $25 million to secure the event. Much of this amount will be reimbursed by the federal government.