Repair work on the two overpasses over the Ville-Marie motorway, those on Boulevard Saint-Laurent and Rue Saint-Urbain, will begin in less than two weeks, which should result in several obstacles in the area.
Posted at 4:07pm
This was announced by the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD) at the beginning of the week without fanfare. Officially, the repair of the flyovers is scheduled to begin on February 12, staggered until autumn 2026.
Already in November, La Presse had reported on the implementation of this work, which will cause several obstacles. To “limit the impact on traffic”, Quebec also plans not to close the two flyovers at the same time. Access to shops and other buildings will also be maintained throughout the work.
However, these require “permanent closures of Route 136,” according to the ministry. “Typically, two lanes of traffic will be open in each direction on Route 136. However, complete night or weekend closures of Route 136 are required for certain work related to the construction site.
An idea of the obstacles
Everything is done in three steps. First, two lanes will be closed on westbound Route 136 beginning February 12 at 10 p.m.: one between Panet and Saint-Urbain streets, including the Viger Tunnel, and another between Saint-Denis and Saint-Urbain streets .
Then, at 10 p.m. on February 13, two lanes will be closed on eastbound Route 136, between exit 4 toward Victoria Bridge and the Saint-Laurent Boulevard sector, including the Ville-Marie Tunnel, and between the entrance to the boulevard Robert-Bourassa and the same sector of Boulevard Saint-Laurent.
Finally, on February 14 at 10 p.m., the Saint-Laurent Boulevard overpass between Viger Avenue and Saint-Antoine Street will close. Detours will then be set up for motorists, Rue Saint-Urbain heading south and Rue Saint-Hubert heading north. On the same day, the left lane on Viger Avenue will be closed at Saint-Laurent Boulevard.
Only after the completion of the work on the Saint-Laurent Boulevard flyover in the summer of 2024 will work on the Saint-Urbain Street flyover begin. This second construction phase is scheduled to start in summer 2024 and end in autumn 2026.
The work essentially consists of replacing the carriageway slabs of the two bridges, including their girders, and repairing their abutments and piers. The mechanical systems, the walls of the Viger and Ville-Marie tunnels, the retaining walls and the roadway will also be renewed. The project is valued at $2 billion. A virtual public information event is planned for February 7th to present the project to the population. To, you must go directly to the MTMD website.
Note: Another major project is emerging in the heart of Montreal. Quebec will completely rehabilitate 11.4 kilometers of Metropolitan Autoroute high-rise structures, a project worth “a few billion.” The consortium selected to refurbish the eastern portion of the Metropolitan is due to submit its plans and specifications to MTMD at an unspecified date in 2023.