Montreal-Trudeau Airport is about to become a construction site and travel could get messy

If you're flying out of Montreal anytime soon, you'll want to give yourself a little extra time — and maybe a little extra patience.

Montreal-Trudeau Airport (YUL) has officially entered its renovation era, with years of major construction and expansion plans now underway. According to Aéroports de Montréal, the work will stretch well into the 2030s and will impact just about every corner of the airport — from roads to runways to parking.

Montreal-Trudeau showcased some of the plans in a Facebook post earlier this month.

The post compared the work to "renovating your kitchen while still living in your house, but airport-sized."

YUL says it's bracing for some chaos in the coming months, especially for those arriving by car. That's partly why the airport has reopened its express drop-off zones in parking lots P10 and P4 for the summer, but with detours and demolition on the way, don't expect a smooth ride.

Here’s what’s coming between now and 2028:

• A new REM light rail station (YUL-Aéroport-Montréal-Trudeau) set to open in 2027
• A full overhaul of the parking system, including the demolition of the existing multilevel garage
• Road network updates to accommodate the growing number of passengers
• The start of southern terminal expansion work

And by 2035, things really ramp up as part of the Destination 2035 master plan:

• A brand-new P5 parking lot with over 6,000 spots
• Complete demolition and replacement of the current boarding gates
• A 20,000-square-metre terminal expansion focused on passenger services

In the airport's own words: "It might get a little messy before it gets beautiful. But trust us, it's gonna look amazing when it's done!"

So if you’re catching a flight this summer or anytime in the next decade, it’s probably best to plan ahead, leave early, and expect construction cones.

This story was adapted from the article "«Ça va brasser»: L'aéroport de Montréal partage une importante mise en garde aux voyageurs," which was originally published on Narcity Quebec.

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