Montreal Will Take Steps To End The Rampant Use Of Orange Cones Around Construction Sites

The days of navigating an endless maze of orange cones and gigantic roadwork signs in Montreal may be numbered. Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault announced on April 24 that city construction sites are about to get a makeover.

At the Strategic Forum on Transport Infrastructure, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, Guilbault shared new adjustments to signage standards that will take effect in June. The changes are aimed at reducing the impact of construction sites on downtown traffic.

For starters, clunky and space-consuming orange cones will be replaced with more compact models that are better suited to tight urban spaces. Signs announcing closed sidewalks will also be downsized, and a third horizontal board will be added to the barriers used to block sidewalks, making them easier to detect for the visually impaired.

The city will also review the layout of construction sites downtown and around tourist areas. The use of metal barriers instead of orange cones to separate construction sites from pedestrian crossings will be evaluated.

"A major clean-up of Montreal construction sites is necessary! We're in solution mode to offer Montrealers and tourists smoother and more efficient mobility in the metropolitan area," Guilbault said in a statement.

By the end of the year, a new design for temporary signs around worksites will also be introduced to better indicate reduced speed zones and make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Pictograms could replace the text on those signs, so you may want to get a head start brushing up on your symbols.