Anyone who regularly uses Fabre station on Montreal's Blue Line has some rerouting to figure out.
As of Tuesday, September 8, the station's main entrance is completely closed, and the STM says staying that way for roughly a year and a half.
The closure marks the second phase of a construction project the STM kicked off back in August. The work itself involves rebuilding the structural slab and fixed staircases at the station's main entrance, located at the corner of Jean-Talon and Papineau.
Phase one ran for about four weeks starting mid-August, during which the north door of the main entrance was closed, bus stops for the 45 Papineau route were shifted south of Jean-Talon, one traffic lane in each direction was removed from Papineau between Everett and Jean-Talon, and a temporary pedestrian walkway was set up along the east side of the construction zone.
Phase two, which just began on September 8, is the bigger disruption. For the next 18 months, the station's main entrance, known as Access A, will be fully closed. The station itself remains open, but anyone using it now has to enter through Access B instead, at the corner of Jean-Talon and Fabre.
Phase 2 of the ongoing project at Fabre.STM
Bus service continues in full during this phase, though some stops remain relocated, with the 45 south route still shifted on Papineau and a stop on the 93 route moved onto Jean-Talon.
The STM says it's using this extended closure to tackle two projects at once. Alongside the station rebuild, crews are also building a new electrical substation in the area, tied to the Blue Line's planned extension further east. Combining both projects into a single disruption period is meant to spare the neighbourhood from going through construction twice.
Local residents are being looped into the process too. A neighbourhood liaison committee is set to form in the coming weeks, giving people in the area a way to stay updated on the work and raise concerns as it progresses. Anyone interested in joining can apply through an online form on the STM's website.
The project is being funded by Quebec's Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable, with construction expected to wrap up by winter 2028.
This story was inspired by the article "L'accès principal de cette station de la ligne bleue à Montréal ferme pendant 18 mois" which was originally published on Narcity.
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