By Alyssa De Rosa
As of next week western Montrealers will be faced with a tougher commute as they are going to lose access to the 720 eastbound. On Monday, March 3rd, Transport Quebec is preparing to demolish the onramp from St. Jacques St. to Ville-Marie East which leads residents to downtown. Lane closures are set to take place on Highway 15 and 720 including lanes over the Decarie Expressway.
Driving will be a hassle for anyone driving towards downtown from the west. Transport Quebec initially planned the demolition for August 2013 but due to other road work it was delayed. Don’t think you’ll be seeing any improvements anytime soon because according to the agency, the rebuilding of the St. Jacques St. overpass is expected to take approximately two years. The exact dates for closure have yet to be announced by Transport Quebec.
Residents are already showing their frustration through Twitter by stating that this preliminary demolition will “ruin their life and their commute.” Many are saying it is ridiculous to ask commuters to reroute themselves onto Cote St. Luc St. in order to access the only available ramp. Having that many cars on one road will be suffocating.
Transport Quebec suggests drivers find alternate routes in the meantime to avoid traffic and other delays. Drivers can choose to get downtown by using Sherbrooke St. or simply use the next highway entrance at Green Ave. As part of the rebuilding of the Turcot Interchange, the agency also announced that residents will have access to the 720 E from Pullman St. beginning in 2017.
As for the 21,000 cars that use this entrance daily, traffic will most definitely be an issue, so if you’re from the west and use these streets daily, plan ahead as of Sunday night to avoid bumper-to-bumper chaos.
Picture on top : The St. Jacques bridge looking east after the reconstruction of the Turcot Exchange.
Photograph by: Transport Quebec