Construction projects merge to cause traffic chaos
Effects of roadwork on University, Peel made worse by Mount Royal situation
It may be construction holiday, but there is once again no holiday from construction for residents and drivers in the downtown core.
Two construction projects that began in the last week are having a major impact on traffic. Peel St. and Dr. Penfield Ave. are closed where the two streets meet, as is University St. north of Sherbrooke St.
The work on University St. is expected to last until next week, but a notice to residents about the Peel St. work did not say how long that intersection would be closed. What’s more, the notice advised motorists to use University as an alternative, specifically the portion that is now closed.
“A doesn’t speak to B, and if they do, they don’t speak the same language,” said Rick Leckner, a former radio traffic reporter for CJAD and a consultant on traffic issues who lives on Penfield. “It’s just too much work going on in close proximity.”
Since Penfield is a main route for people to get downtown, to Park Extension or to Mount Royal, motorists are forced to detour to Sherbrooke St. at Drummond St.
Matthew Elder, another Penfield Ave. resident, said a pilot project that began in June to eliminate through traffic on Mount Royal has made the situation worse, because motorists have been using Penfield as an alternative route to get to the Mont-Royal Ave. area.
“People don’t like to admit that Camillien-Houde (the route through the mountain) is a main thoroughfare, but people use it,” Elder said. “Now all these northsouth routes to an already clogged Sherbrooke St. are gridlocked — not just during rush hour, but all day long.”
Elder, who walks to his workplace on McGill College Ave., said the congestion is bad for the environment, because the fumes from idling cars is harming the air quality.
“We have all these cars idling right in front of our door, and I don’t think that’s a good thing,” he said. “I believe by opening (Camillien-Houde) you might actually alleviate that.”
He said if the city knew the area would be closed, it should have delayed the project on Mount Royal so it would inconvenience fewer people.
Leckner agreed. “We need to be adding options, not taking them away,” he said, noting the situation is likely to get worse in the next few weeks as people return from vacation and school starts.
Other Montrealers took to Twitter to voice their frustrations. Someone by the name of Chris P had choice words for the city and Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.
“You can’t close CamillienHoude and Dr. Penfield at the same time,” he wrote. “Are you really that incompetent and (idiotic)?”
Someone who goes by the name of Ian wrote: “Mount Royal shut down to cars yet Dr. Penfield is closed for construction. No way to get over and this has caused massive traffic problems.”
The city of Montreal has dedicated a page on its website to the Peel St. project, which started last year and is set to last until 2020. All of the street, from the Peel Basin to Mount Royal, is set to get a facelift.
Most of the work on the section between des Pins Ave. and Sherbrooke St. will be done this year, but the city will complete the project next year. The city will also redo Peel between Smith St. and René-Lévesque Blvd. next year, and the section between RenéLévesque and Sherbrooke will be completed in 2020.
When asked, city spokesperson Audrey Gauthier was not able to provide an answer on Thursday as to when the intersection of Peel and Penfield would be reopened.