Projet Montréal promises to create a waterfront promenade on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, between the Victoria and Samuel-De Champlain bridges, if he is re-elected.
A sum of $ 10 million would be allocated to the construction of the new two-kilometer promenade, which would include a bicycle path, a footpath for pedestrians, street furniture and lookouts to admire the river.
The outgoing mayor, Valérie Plante, made the announcement on Saturday at the Sazerac distillery, alongside the outgoing mayor of the Sud-Ouest borough, Benoit Dorais.
PHOTO PASCAL RATTHÉ, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Benoit Dorais, outgoing mayor of the Sud-Ouest borough, accompanied Valérie Plante.
“We live on an island, and Montrealers want to seize every opportunity to get closer to their river,” said Valérie Plante.
For us at Projet Montréal, protecting the banks, but also giving Montrealers access to the river, is extremely important.
Valérie Plante, Head of Project Montreal
The complete redevelopment of the Bonaventure Expressway by the Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges will allow this project to be carried out. The traffic lane will become an urban boulevard with pedestrian crossings and traffic lights, to ensure user safety. The highway will also be built back to provide more space for the waterfront promenade.
The development of the promenade will be completed at the time of the end of the renovations of the Bonaventure Expressway, either in 2026 or 2027, specified Mr.me Plant.
IMAGE PROVIDED BY PROJECT MONTREAL
“The new urban boulevard, which will be designed with the federal government, will meet the needs of today and the needs of tomorrow” with a view to sustainable mobility, declared Benoit Dorais. “It is important that citizens reclaim their territory,” he continued.
The project “is part of an immense development potential in the sector,” said Valérie Plante. The development of active transportation is also at the heart of the project’s priorities.
“We want the experience from one end to the other to be pleasant for the pedestrian [et] is pleasant for the cyclist ”, between the west of Montreal and the Old Port of Montreal, underlined Mr. Dorais.
Projet Montréal thus hopes to create a true “postcard” of Montreal, and revitalize the Bridge-Bonaventure sector.
“What the mayoress omits to say about a possible waterfront promenade on the banks of the St. Lawrence River is that this project remains under federal jurisdiction. This project has been in the air for almost 10 years now. The City can be a partner, but it is the Société des Bridges that has the last word. This is another marketing stunt from Projet Montreal that throws out false promises, ”responded Denis Coderre’s press secretary, Elizabeth Lemay.
“Every vote counts,” says Plante
The first day of advance polling took place on Saturday. Voters will also be able to go to the polls this Sunday, as well as November 6 and 7.
“Advance polling is super important, every vote counts,” said Valérie Plante, inviting Montrealers to vote.
This year’s election is crucial.
Valérie Plante, Head of Project Montreal
A few days after Denis Coderre declared that “the time of unicorns and rose-colored glasses” was over, Valérie Plante criticized her opponent for “not having changed”.
Read “’It’s over, the time of unicorns and rose-colored glasses”, says Coderre ”
“In 2017, he was doing exactly the same thing, the same attacks on unicorns, that we weren’t responsible for […] It’s the same Denis. The same Denis who sees that his campaign is not going well, ”said Mme Plant.