Mount Royal Park is set for a significant transformation as the City of Montreal moves forward with a $12.8 million redevelopment plan.
According to a Wednesday press release, a newly awarded contract for engineering, landscape architecture, and urban design services will pave the way for major changes to the mountain over the next four years.
The project, which will be carried out in three phases between now and 2029, aims to increase green space, improve pedestrian and cycling routes, and reconfigure traffic flow. The plan calls for removing the equivalent of three football fields of asphalt while shifting public transit and car access to the western side of the mountain.
Pedestrian and bike access from the east will be prioritized, and the city is working with the STM to explore enhanced transit options, including the possibility of minibuses on Camillien-Houde.
"Mount Royal is a priceless destination in Montreal, and we must take courageous action to allow an ever-growing number of visitors to continue enjoying it," said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante in a statement. "It is a bold, necessary, and ambitious plan, which we have a responsibility to implement to address immediate issues and the needs of future generations."
With completion set for 2029, the redevelopment will unfold in the following three phases:
- Phase 1 (2026-2027): Greening Remembrance Road and the Lac-aux-Castors and Smith House parking lots.
- Phase 2 (2027-2028): Transforming Camillien-Houde Way into a pedestrian and cycling promenade.
- Phase 3 (2028-2029): Redesigning the major intersection at the base of the mountain, where Mont-Royal Avenue, Côte-Sainte-Catherine, and Parc Avenue converge.
The executive committee behind the project shared the following rendered image of a redesigned Camillien-Houde Way:
This route will be exclusive to pedestrians and cyclists. City of Montreal
In recent years, the city has already completed several improvement projects on Mount Royal, including restoring the Camillien-Houde Staircase and chalet, redeveloping key intersections, and extending the escarpment staircase.
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