Road closures affect Turcot, Champlain, Mercier

The ramp from Highway 15 North to Highway 20 West will be closed starting Monday night, for two months.

That means drivers arriving in Montreal from the Champlain Bridge will be detoured if they are heading to Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport or the West Island.

About 1,000 drivers per hour use the ramp during morning rush hour, with 800 cars per hour zooming by in the afternoon.

Transport Quebec’s suggested detour is to take Exit 62 for de la Vérendrye Blvd. / de l’Église Ave. off the 15 North, then use StPatrick St. and Monk Blvd. to get to Highway 20 West using an entrance on Notre-Dame St. W.

Drivers can also stay on the 15 North, exit at Côte-St-Luc Rd. and then turn around and use the 15 South to reach Highway 20 West, but Côte-St-Luc is already a bottleneck during rush hour.

The closure will allow workers to demolish the ramp and built a temporary bypass until a permanent ramp can be built, said Sylvie Gervais, a spokeswoman for the private consortium building the new Turcot.

Also in the St-Pierre interchange, Transport Quebec has closed the left lane of Highway 138 East off the Mercier Bridge on the approach to Highway 20 West.

The decision was made for security reasons after repairs to a pillar revealed damage that was greater than expected. The closure of one lane will limit the strain on the structure — a bridge over the Lachine Canal — until repairs are completed, which should be at the end of this week.

During this time, the RTM’s Candiac line will be free. Additional cars will be added to the train.

A free shuttle service will be offered between the Châteauguay parking area and the Ste-Catherine station.

Additional buses will be added, and hours of operation will be extended.