November Turcot closures will cause massive gridlock

Transport Quebec taking unprecedented step of shutting sections during rush hour

Motorists driving to or from downtown Montreal via Highway 20 around Remembrance Day weekend should make other plans or risk a commute they won’t soon forget.

Transport Quebec is taking the unprecedented step of closing segments of the Turcot Interchange during the weekday rush hours, from the morning of Friday, Nov. 8 through Monday evening, Nov. 12, to allow for the dismantling of part of the expressway that runs over Highway 20.

Till now, major work on the Turcot has been done on weekends to avoid the weekday crush, when as many as 124,000 vehicles a day pass through.

But the dismantling of the old Highway 15 northbound overpass is so complex, passing over four lanes of newly built highway and five CN train lines that will remain in operation during the demolition, it necessitates five days of continuous work, officials said. The scope of the lane closures is a first for Montreal, and will be the largest traffic impediment of the Turcot rebuild.

Officials are advising motorists to find alternative routes or modes of transportation, particularly public transportation, to avoid what is expected to be massive gridlock.

“To sum up, exceptional construction work, exceptional closures,” said Sylvie Gervais, director of mobility for the KPH-Turcot consortium in charge of construction. “You must remember that on Friday it will be very difficult to leave downtown from the Ville Marie Expressway, in particular at rush hour. And on Monday, it will be very difficult to enter downtown, particularly from Highway 20 eastbound.

“The impacts on traffic will be substantial. Thus it is of the utmost importance that motorists plan their commutes in advance.”

Here’s what you need to know about major road closures in Montreal from Sept. 7-10:

HIGHWAY 15 / TURCOT INTERCHANGE

Highway 15 northbound will ■ be completely closed between Exit 58 (for downtown) and the entrance to the Décarie Expressway at Édouard-Montpetit Blvd. from Friday at 11:59 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday.

The De La Vérendrye Blvd. and ■

St-Patrick St. entrances will be closed during the same time.

The eastbound De La Vérendrye ■

Blvd. will also be completely closed between Galt St. and Highway 15 during the same time.

Highway 15 southbound will be ■ completely closed on the Turcot Interchange from 11 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.

The ramp from Highway 20 ■ eastbound for Highway 15 northbound and the ramp from Highway 720 westbound to Highway 15 northbound (Décarie) will be closed from 11 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.

St-Jacques St. will be completely ■ closed between Décarie Blvd. and Glen Rd. / De Courcelle St. from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.

Décarie Blvd. will be closed ■ between de Maisonneuve Blvd. and St-Jacques St. during the same time. Local circulation will be allowed on Décarie Blvd., mainly to access the hospital and businesses.

NEW CHAMPLAIN BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION

Exit 4 on the Highway 10 E. ■

Bonaventure (leading to the bridge) will be closed from 4 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Monday.

Exit 2 (for the Montreal casino) ■ will be closed at the same time, as will Exit 57-N.