The first obstacles linked to the repair of the Ville-Marie and Viger tunnels will begin this weekend. Route 136 will be closed in both directions downtown, from Friday evening to Monday morning, while part of the Saint-Laurent Boulevard overpass deck is demolished.
This was confirmed Monday by the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable (MTMD), in a press release, recognizing from the outset that “other occasional weekend closures on Route 136 are to be expected and will be announced later.
Thus, starting this Friday at 11 p.m. and until the following Monday at 5 a.m., Route 136 will be completely closed westbound, between rue Panet and the entrance from rue Lucien-L’Allier. Quebec specifies that “traffic will be diverted on Viger Avenue and Saint-Antoine Street”.
Eastbound, Route 136 will also be completely closed during the same period, this time between exit 4 Victoria Bridge/Boulevard Robert-Bourassa/Rue de la Montagne and the entrance from Atataken Street. In this case, we invite motorists to fall back on Saint-Jacques and Saint-Antoine streets.
The ministry says that the on-ramps leading to all these sections “will be closed 30 minutes before the complete closure of Route 136”. Detours will be clearly displayed by road signs. A “police presence is also planned to ensure the fluidity of traffic”.
Via a press release, the government also specifies that this major closure “is necessary in order to proceed with the demolition of the central part of the deck of the Saint-Laurent Boulevard overpass”.
From November, The Press had reported the holding of this work, which will cause several obstacles in the weeks to come, most often on weekends. To “limit the impact on traffic”, Quebec also plans not to close the two overpasses simultaneously. Access to shops and other buildings will also be maintained throughout the duration of the work.
It is not until work on the Saint-Laurent Boulevard overpass is completed, in the summer of 2024, that work on the Saint-Urbain Street overpass will begin. This second phase of construction should be launched in the summer of 2024, and end in the fall of 2026.
The work essentially consists of replacing the decks of the two bridges, including its girders, and repairing its abutments and piers. The mechanical systems, the walls of the Viger and Ville-Marie tunnels, the retaining walls and the roadway will also be rebuilt. The project is valued at $2 billion.
If “unfavorable weather conditions or operational constraints” were to arise, any hindrance could be canceled and postponed “without notice”, also recalls the MTMD, which invites motorists to find out about the hindrances in progress via the Quebec 511 platform. , in order to better plan their trips.