As if it wasn’t enough to be stuck in traffic to go to or from work, people in the greater Quebec City area are experiencing heavy traffic earlier and earlier on Fridays and even at the end of week.
• Also read: Be patient, congestion is here for good in Quebec
Weekend congestion begins at noon on Friday and sometimes even before, observe officials from the Integrated Traffic Management Center of the Ministry of Transport (CIGC).
“People all say to themselves that they are going to finish earlier to avoid traffic, but everyone does that, so it creates congestion,” describes Philippe Drouin, team leader at CIGC.
And as people all dream of the weekend and can’t wait to get home, accidents and collisions are more frequent.
Which often complicates the situation even more in the hot spots which are the Capital and 20 highways as well as the bridge sector.
Weekend Shopping
The scenario is similar on weekends, because rush hours are now often observed there, both on Saturday and Sunday.
As the greater Quebec region has gained new residents in recent years, if there are more people on the roads during the week, there will inevitably also be some shopping on the weekend.
Shopping is no stranger to congestion, as evidenced by this photo of the Galeries de la Capitale parking lot, packed to the brim on a Sunday two weeks before Christmas 2022.
Photo LOUIS DESCHÊNES
“It wasn’t as heavy as that before the pandemic on weekends, but now, it’s heavy quite a bit all the time,” analyzes Richard Pilote, attendant at the traffic management center, specifying that the traffic is Usually sets up around 11 a.m., with a second peak at the end of the day, when shopping centers close.
The key is therefore to plan your trips, suggest the CIGC teams. This advice is the one that the ministry always repeats, but it remains the most effective. Because traffic jams that are not caused by specific construction sites or accidents can be quite predictable.
Planning also at MTQ
And, if the MTQ recommends that people plan their trips, the ministry also ensures that it follows its own advice.
Every week, a meeting involving various partners is held to discuss the upcoming weekend and possible challenges on the main roads in the province.
MTQ planning takes into account the holding of events at the Videotron Center, in particular.
Photo Agency QMI, DANIEL MALLARD
In Quebec, for example, if a major event is held at the Videotron Center or the ExpoCité Fair Center, the MTQ teams will be notified. Same thing for road construction sites.
Action plans can then be put in place with the police authorities when necessary.
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