The Tour de l’Île and Tour la Nuit, as well as numerous construction sites will make the drive for Montreal motorists this weekend challenging.
There will also be multiple street closures downtown amid the national funeral for Quebec singer Jean-Pierre Ferland on Saturday.
And next week: Grand Prix festivities.
Motorists are strongly advised to plan ahead before getting on the roads.
“This Friday, between 7:30 p.m. and late in the evening, nearly about midnight, you will get some road closures in town. The [Tour la Nuit] circuit will go on the territory of three boroughs. So for Friday, avoid riding your car in the Plateau in Ville-Marie and in the southwest boroughs. On Saturday, we also have national funeral for Jean-Pierre Ferland. It’s at [Mary Queen of the World Cathedral], so avoid René-Lévesque between Peel and Mansfield,” says Philippe Sabourin, spokesperson for the City of Montreal.
Starting at Jeanne-Mance Park, cyclists will head south of Jean-Talon and then west of Decarie, before proceeding through the city’s southwest, passing through parts of Old Montreal, and ultimately returning to Jeanne-Mance Park.
“This weekend, I’m going to try to not come into Montreal. I’m going to stay here in the chalet,” says on Montreal driver CityNews spoke with on Friday.
“Every year, it’s always like that. I prefer not to work on weekends, because if normally this kind of event, I prefer not to work here,” says a taxi driver.
“I’d just be taking public transports,” says another Montreal motorist.
The Saint-Pierre interchange ramp leading from the Honoré-Mercier bridge to Highway 20 westbound – towards Dorval and the airport – will be completely closed to traffic this weekend. Also, a partial closure is planned for Route 138 eastbound heading towards the interchange.
Highway 25 and 440 will be closed to traffic overnights starting Sunday for road resurfacing correction work – until fall. Motorists are advised to check Quebec 511 for other closures before heading out on the road.
“The best piece of advice this weekend, if you have to move around because of those two events for the cyclist, look out for the website at Vélo-Québec. They’re providing many maps, all the information, and they also provide a phone line to help you out. There are many breaches that allow you as motorists to go through the circuit of Tour de l’Île, but the information will be provided by Vélo-Quebec, online,” says Sabourin.
