5 Major Montreal Construction Project That Will NOT Be Completed On Time
Summer months in Montreal mean both an explosion of festivals and a mess of construction projects.
ALSO READ: 11 Major Montreal Road Closures That Will Paralyze Montreal All Summer Long
But as we all know, officials' promises don't always yield magnificent results. That's especially true of construction times. The city is notorious for its seemingly endless collection of unfinished projects.
Here's a look at 5 projects that have extended way past their initial completetion dates:
Verdun Beach
The new beach was supposed to be a feature of Montreal's 375th birthday celebrations. With a new, sandy waterfront, gathering places, and landcaped garden, it will eventually add to the city's collection of major urban beaches. Unfortunately, construction delays first pushed its opening to at least August 2018. This week, the opening was delayed again to allow officials to test the water. No word yet when the park will open. Swimming, however, will not be open until 2019.
Viger Park
The park was supposed to be another cornerstone of 375 anniversary projects. The former concrete jungle will one day open a wide expanse of green space between downtown and the Old Port. Unfortunately, the park will not open until "at least" 2020. Right now, the future park is an eye-sore of dust, mangled wire, and broken concrete.
Sainte Catherine Street
The Plante administration unveiled plans this year to transform the major commercial street into a more pedestrian-friendly zone with wide sidewalks and only one lane of traffic. Construction began in April of this year. But a construction halt has delayed further work by at least six months. Meanwhile, fences, cones, and pits continue to mark the abandonned work zone.
Champlain Bridge
Montreal residents have watched anxiously as the new Champlain Bridge slowly takes shape across the Saint Lawrence river. But work to replace the dilapidated, narrow, old bridge of the same name has repeatedly stalled. The new bridge had an initial completetion date of December 1st, 2018. That was first pushed to the beginning of January. But a recent crane workers' strike cast doubts the project would wrap-up by the beginning of 2019.
Parc Jean-Drapeau
If you've visited the park recently, you probably notcied that huge swaths of open space has been blocked off. That's to allow for construction of a new giant amphitheatre and festival space. The new infrastructure was another promise of the city's 375th anniverary. There's no word about a new completetion date, but the site remains a mess.
