The demolition of the St. Jacques Bridge is a noisy piece of work that is disturbing many people who live near the Turcot Interchange.

Shelaya Davis, at home on Addington Ave. with her 15-month-old child, said neither of them slept much Friday night as work to tear down the bridge began in earnest.

"For me it's like 'great you're sleeping. Ah yes I can go to bed.' And then as soon as she wakes up and starts bawling because of all the noise. And I'm just like... sigh," said the young mother.

The teardown of the western half of the bridge began on Friday night and will continue around the clock until Monday morning.

The work will continue next weekend and possibly on a third weekend in July if the weather does not co-operate.

The jackhammering thuds can be heard at least a kilometre away but it's especially disturbing for those who live near the worksite.

"We're doing everything not to disturb them too much," said Transport Quebec spokeswoman Nomba Danielle, pointing out contractors put up a wall on Addington Ave. in order to muffle some of the noise.

Even then, Adrien Benn was one resident caught off guard.

"They just put it up [Friday]. We couldn't park on that side of the street when they put it up. So more inconveniences. Got to love Montreal," said Benn.

The wall will remain in place until December 2017.

The Ministry has people on site who are monitoring noise levels and promises it will take additional steps if necessary.

Montreal motorists have been warned to avoid the Decarie Expressway this weekend.

Almost every access route to the Decarie Expressway is closed as crews work 24 hours a day to dismantle the bridge.

Despite weeks of advance notice on a project that began years ago, some drivers still managed to get caught.

"I've just come back from the Caribbean, from Barbados and I'm stuck in that major traffic! Argh!" ranted one driver.

This is all to demolish the western half of the St. Jacques Bridge that spans Highway 15 -- and there will be more closures in the autumn to bring down the eastern half of the bridge.

It's a project that attracted a fair amount of curious onlookers.

"NDG is the Decarie," said Alex D'Amico. "Whether you are going east or west it makes a big difference. We've been crippled lately."

Transport Quebec knows it's a big project that is causing countless problems.

However it says the demolition of the bridge -- and its eventual reconstruction -- is necessary.

"It's a huge project. We cannot do otherwise. The work has to be done," said Danielle.

Once the demolition is complete the construction of the new St. Jacques Bridge will begin -- and it is scheduled to be finished in 2017, with the Turcot Interchange scheduled to be finished the following year.

D'Amico hopes that once the project is done it will be worth it.

"Make our city beautiful again because it was falling apart."