Traffic levels have returned to pre-pandemic level throughout Quebec – except in Greater Montreal.
According to annual reports by the province’s Transport Ministry, remote work and construction sites contribute to the new driving habits for motorists.
During the pandemic, traffic fell between 10 to 20 per cent on Quebec roads.
Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières have observed traffic rates that are slightly higher than pre-pandemic levels.
In Greater Montreal, travel remains five per cent lower than what was recorded in 2019.
According to the data, there was a large drop of motorists on several bridges like the Victoria (38 per cent) and the Papineau-Leblanc (13 per cent).
The Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel, where three out of six lanes have been closed since October 2022 due to construction, has seen a daily drop from 121,000 to 57,000 (five per cent) since 2019.
However, other structures such as the Jacques-Cartier Bridge remain heavily used.
In 2023, it had 83,880 motorists using the bridge daily, which is nearly the same amount before the pandemic with 84,600 in 2019.