Montreal Is Finally Going To Redo One Of Its Most Wretched Underpasses

You probably know and avoid it: the 60-year-old underpass between Rosemont–La-Petite-Patrie and the Plateau-Mont-Royal on avenue Christophe-Colomb — three wide lanes of car traffic, narrow sidewalks and a bike path smushed together in a long stretch of concrete and asphalt. It's ugly and it's dangerous. Montreal counted 95 collisions involving cyclists and pedestrians on Christophe-Colomb between 2018 and 2022. The city knows it sucks. So it's going to redo it.

Montreal's Executive Committee announced on February 17 that it had awarded a $23,588,576.72 contract to renovate the underpass. The city says the work will "contribute to the safe sharing of the underpass' road space" and will include new and improved bike paths, better "user-friendliness" and urban integration, new vegetation, more accessible sidewalks, and a new "stopping and relaxation area to reduce heat islands and to promote a more appropriate sharing of the area between pedestrians and cyclists."

In a statement, Montreal Executive Committee Member Responsible for Infrastructure Émilie Thuillier promised the new underpass will be "totally different, much safer and more pleasant for all users."

The city also says the project aligns with its Vision Zéro goal to achieve zero deaths or serious injuries on the road network by 2040.

Work on the underpass is expected to last about a year and a half, beginning in March 2023 and wrapping up in September 2024. During construction, the city says to, at times, expect one lane of traffic for vehicles, bikes and pedestrians, and even some periodic complete closures with detours.