Major Construction Holiday Traffic In 30° Heat Will Paralyze Montreal This Weekend

Here are the highways and routes to avoid this weekend in the Montreal area.

This weekend marks the start of the annual construction holiday. For two weeks, many blue-collar and public sector workers will be on vacation, leaving their construction sites behind for a much-needed repose. 

What this means for Montreal drivers is a weekend of headaches since many construction projects will be running at full-tilt in anticipation for the holiday.

Good thing for you drivers, we have the complete list of road closure and traffic detours to help you get through what is shaping up to be a difficult weekend on Montreal's roads.

 

For the most part, Montreal drivers should expect heavy congestion in the classic areas: the Turcot Interchange, the Bonaventure Expressway, and the Jacques Cartier Bridge. Closures and detours will paralyze these locations and drivers should plan ahead before they get stuck.

FDS 19 juillet // Fermetures importantes dans l’échangeur Turcot. Planifiez dès maintenant vos déplacements. Plus d’infos 👉https://t.co/76YRg0N6kk pic.twitter.com/kBDUiLfoxp

— Turcot (@MTQ_Turcot) July 16, 2019

Most of the work will be happening on the South Shore side of these areas but drivers will be affected across the city. Those trying to get into downtown from the South Shore might have to find an alternate route. 

Below is the full list of detours and closures that will affect drivers in Montreal this weekend. 

@jdemontreal
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Turcot Interchange

  • Closure of Highway 136 (A-720) / Highway 20 West between Exit 5 - Boul. R.-Bourassa / S. Bridge - De Champlain / Victoria Bridge and the entrance from Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Boulevard

    • Closed entrances to Highway 136 (A-720) Westbound from Saint-Antoine Street East and Hôtel-de-Ville Avenue 

    • Closing the temporary entrance at Rose-de-Lima street

    • Closure of the ramp from Highway 136 (A-720) West to Highway 15 North

    • Closure of the ramp from Highway 15 North to Highway 20 West

    • Closure of the ramp from Highway 15 Southbound to Highway 20 Westbound

  • Closing Highway 20 / Route 136 (A-720) Eastbound in the Turcot Interchange

  • Closure of the ramp from Highway 20 East to Highway 15 North

READ ALSO: Environment Canada Warning: Humidex To Feel Like 45°C In Southern Quebec This Weekend

 

Jacques Cartier Bridge

  • Complete closure of the bridge exit ramp to R-132 from Friday, July 19 at 10 pm to Monday, July 22 at 5 AM

  • Complete closure of the R-134 ramp to R-132 from Friday, July 19th at 10 pm to Monday, July 22 at 5 am

@closing_your_eyes
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Bonaventure Expressway

  • Complete closure of exit 3 (Carrie-Derick) and Chemin des Moulins towards the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge, from Friday, July 19 midnight to Saturday, July 20 9 AM. A detour via the local network will be set up.

  • Complete closure of Autoroute Bonaventure towards the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge at Wellington Street to Exit 3 (Carrie-Derick), from Monday, July 22 at 10 PM to Tuesday, July 23 at 5 AM. A detour via the local network will be set up.

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The #Bonaventure expressway was ugly, so Montreal tore it down and opened a boulevard. The results couldn’t be sweeter. Where a concrete overpass once loomed now stand hundreds of saplings, about five football fields’ worth of public green space, thousands of perennials and shrubs, rain gardens, exercise equipment, a fenced-in children’s play area, two large pieces of public art, seven ground-level traffic lanes for cars, and two dedicated bus lanes. (Swipe right above to see the results!) The vision and purpose of #ProjetBonaventure was threefold: to create a prestigious and user-friendly entrance to downtown, mesh together disparate neighborhoods, and support urban development. There are other benefits, too. The green space will help reduce the heat island effect in the area, and might make the neighborhood more palatable to condo buyers. And the sculptures that dot the main park are sure to excite passing visitors. Read more about the transit-focused city renewal via the link in our bio. (📷: City of Montreal) #blight #renewal #expressway #boulevard #urbanplanning #urbandesign #publicpark #montreal

A post shared by CityLab (@citylab) on Nov 11, 2018 at 7:06pm PST

READ ALSO: Women Can Now Go Topless At Calypso Water Parks In Canada

 

Make sure to plan ahead and take public transit where every you can. 

@mlinstitutrice
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Keep in mind that fines are doubled in roadwork areas for speeding.

An area where the speed displayed on an orange sign is 70 km/h and you get caught at 90 km/h, you will have twice the fine of $55, or $110.