“Day one went well overall. It’s circulating, it’s certain that there are impacts, but nothing major,” analyzes spokesperson Émilie Lord.
Friday morning, the Ministry of Transport deployed major obstacles on the Laurentian highway, between Jean-Talon Boulevard and George-Muir Street. The long-term closures, planned to last until December, involve the installation of a contraflow on the northbound carriageway between these two ramps.
“Fluid”… for now
Despite a “good flow” of vehicles, traffic remained “rather fluid” during the morning rush hour, a test day for the Ministry of Transport teams.
On the municipal network, congestion was observed on rue de la Faune.
A complete closure of Rue de la Faune is planned from June 14 to 17 to dismantle the southbound overpass. (Frédéric Matte/Archives Le Soleil)
Everywhere else on the road network, the signals were green. No major episode occurred in the morning. Only the section of Highway 73 targeted by the work showed the color “orange”, a sign of a slowdown in the sector.
But even if the first morning was not dramatic, as motorists in the northern suburbs feared as the deployment of the construction site approached, the Ministry of Transport is not rejoicing too quickly.
Fewer motorists may be traveling on Friday, it is speculated, suggesting that the real test will be Monday morning.
“Next week, it’s going to be something to keep an eye on.”
— Émilie Lord, spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport
The weekend could also be more problematic for travel in the area. From Friday evening to Monday morning, the Ministry of Transport will completely close Rue de la Faune to dismantle the overpass which spans this artery, heading south. A detour is planned by the local network.
With “episodes of congestion” anticipated, “the Ministry recommends that road users allow more time to get to their destination”.
