Montreal vows to limit nuisances caused by infrastructure work
Montreal is promising to keep inconveniences from major infrastructure projects to a minimum by drawing up a “charter of construction sites” and deploying a “construction site team” to oversee the quality of work.
“To ensure that operations run smoothly, we have created tools to maintain mobility and require good management of the sites,” said Sylvain Ouellet, member of the city’s executive committee responsible for water and road infrastructures.
Ouellet said the Plante administration is following up on its creation of a mobility squad to improve traffic flow by taking the same approach to major infrastructure projects like the renovation of Ste-Catherine St. W.
On Wednesday, the city announced that the repaving and landscaping of Ste-Catherine between Robert-Bourassa Blvd. and Bleury St. would start in August. The executive committee approved a $21.4-million contract for new sidewalks and repaving, including beds for trees and shrubs, granite curbs, new light standards, traffic lights and street furniture.
“We understand that it’s not a pleasant situation,” Ouellet said of the numerous major projects that have snarled traffic across the city in recent years.
But he said the city will do its best to minimize impacts and communicate better with citizens and merchants.
He also promised better oversight and coordination to make sure that when a street is dug up, all of the necessary infrastructure is done so it doesn’t have to be dug up again the next year.
The construction team will make surprise visits to sites to ensure that the work meets standards for quality, he said.
The charter will require contractors to make sure nuisances caused by projects are kept to a minimum, Ouellet said.
“We want to formalize these mitigation measures,” he said.
The charter will be adopted in 2020 and be in effect when the summer construction season opens next year, he said.
Ouellet also announced the main infrastructure projects for this year will include:
- Ste-Catherine St. W. between Bleury and Mansfield Sts.
- Peel St. between Sherbrooke St. and Pine Ave.
- Revitalization of the Griffintown district.
- Construction of the SRB Pie-IX express bus network.
- Completion of work on Laurentian Blvd. and Lachapelle St.
- Papineau Ave. between Gauthier and Marie-Anne Sts.
- St-Hubert St. between Bellechasse and Jean-Talon Sts.
- St-Grégoire St. between St-Denis St. and Papineau Ave. and connecting cross streets.
- New water pipes and sewer main on Grand Trunk St.
- Completion of new water intake at Atwater plant