Transports Quebec has a plan in the works with the aim of reducing traffic in Montreal. As part of a "vast initiative" to improve the road network, the provincial transport authority wants to install reserved traffic lanes on six major highways around Montreal. Minister for Transport and Minister responsible for the Metropolis and the Montreal region, Chantal Rouleau, and the Minister of Transport François Bonnardel announced Wednesday that the government is moving forward with the project.
The government has yet to award a contract for the project but a preliminary study is underway to determine "the needs of the affected sectors and to propose solutions to be implemented on the targeted axes, namely highways 13, 20, 25, 440 and 640 as well as route 116."
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Dubbed the Metropolitan Network of Reserved Lanes (RMVR), the proposed project will connect these roads to other "major projects on highways 15, 19, and 30, as well as route 132, according to a press release.
"This is an important step in the realization of the ambitious plan to reduce traffic the metropolitan region," said Rouleau.
"Rethinking access to transport hubs in the metropolitan region is one of our government's priorities, and we are taking action today to build the mobility of tomorrow."
Quebec's RMVR plan was first proposed in the province's 2020-2027 infrastructure budget.
Along with the mentioned sectors that are planned, the study will evaluate the potential for other areas to be connected to the RMVR.
In March, Minister Rouleau announced that Montreal will be under major construction all the way through 2022, with the Viger, Ville-Marie, and Louis H. Lafontaine tunnels set to begin their restoration projects this year.
These projects represent a $1.1-billion dollar investment.
"Today's announcement demonstrates your government's commitment to providing the suburbs of the metropolitan region with integrated public transit infrastructures that allow rapid service to the population," Minister Bonnardel said Wednesday.
"Ultimately, the metropolitan network of reserved lanes will become a major element in relieving congestion in the metropolis while promoting sustainable mobility."
Transports Québec
With the RMVR, the province hopes to drastically reduce traffic in the Montreal metropolitan region.
This article's cover image is for illustrative purposes only.
