The temporary or permanent closure, repeatedly mentioned as a potential solution to the dangerousness of the François-De Laval Boulevard intersection via the Dufferin-Montmorency highway, is not one, the Quebec government decides.
According to information from Sunexperts from the Ministry of Transport do not see this avenue as a panacea for resolving road safety problems in the sector.
On the contrary, “it would have significant impacts if we moved forward,” underlines Maxime Roy, director of communications for Minister Geneviève Guilbault’s office.
Without being completed, however, an analysis carried out at the beginning of 2024 led Quebec to reject the option, although raised as a hypothesis on several occasions by political actors and citizens. Several elected officials from different levels, including the mayor of Quebec, Bruno Marchand, believe that the scenario of closing the problematic exit should at least be considered.
Heavy traffic
Based on preliminary data obtained by THE Sunthe Ministry of Transport rejects the possibility of condemning the ramp, whose access to François-De Laval Boulevard is controlled by a traffic light installed on the highway.
Quebec measures that the automobile flow which currently uses it daily would flow into the neighboring exits, those of Boulevard des Chutes and Avenue D’Estimauville. However, it is emphasized, their configuration does not plan to absorb such a flow.
On average, 22,500 vehicles pass through the François-De Laval Boulevard exit.
The counts carried out in the sector show that the interchanges on Avenue D’Estimauville and Boulevard des Chutes should respectively absorb 44% and 56% of the daily flow. Detours between 1.6 km and 2.2 km for motorists.
In figures, this represents in particular 70 more vehicles during the morning rush hour and 380 vehicles during the evening rush hour at the Avenue D’Estimauville overpass, and even more at the intersection with Boulevard des Chutes. .
The municipal network is “not adapted” to traffic as heavy as that anticipated in the event of closure of the François-De Laval exit. Likewise, more cars would be driving near establishments frequented by vulnerable populations, such as schools, CHSLDs and daycares.
Fifty “affected” establishments
In an inventory of travel hubs monopolizing a significant part of the comings and goings in the sector, the ministry notes a significant concentration of restaurants and hotels, mainly to the east of the François-De Laval Boulevard exit.
No less than 51 businesses and institutions would be “affected”, we list in a file.
A map showing the businesses and institutions located near the François-De Laval Boulevard exit. (Ministry of transportation)
If a majority presents a “potential impact” on their traffic, the ministry also cites a series of establishments “judged to have significant impacts given the potentially high volume of customers/users”.
This is particularly the case of the CPE La Ritournelle, the Pléiade primary school, the Académie Sainte-Marie secondary school, the Marcel-Bédard arena, the Normandin and Ambassadeur hotels and the extraction of Unibéton materials.
Not “accident-prone”
The Ministry of Transport, which still does not consider the exit from Boulevard François-De Laval among the so-called accident-prone sections, has so far informed the City of Quebec of its position. However, the merchants of Boulevard Sainte-Anne would not have been encountered.
Between 2016 and 2022, around twenty accidents have been recorded at this intersection, a minority of which are responsible for minor or serious injuries, or even deaths among the motorists involved.
Quebec still relies on its photo radar, installed in February 2023, to secure the section.
