After unveiling plans to begin repairs on the Decarie Blvd. last week, the city of Montreal has already pushed back the newly announced roadwork.

The repairs, set to take place in the Cote des Neiges-Notre Dame de Grace Borough – would see one lane on Decarie Blvd. heading south closed to traffic from Queen Mary Rd. to Cote St. Luc Rd. for three months beginning in June.

The closure is required to repair water and sewer systems in the area. Over the past few years, many houses and businesses in the area have been flooded due to the aging infrastructure.

NDG Borough Mayor Russell Copeman noted that the city and province are working to coordinate schedules to minimize traffic in the area – roadwork already being a troubling issue in the area. This means it will be waiting to finish one work project before beginning another.

“I have received assurances from the city that the work on Decarie between Queen Mary and Cote St. Luc Rds. will happen subsequent to the reopening to those off-ramps and the work on Sherbrooke St. W,” Copeman said.

The work on Sherbrooke St. westbound from Decarie to Vendome Ave. is underway, slated to wrap up in June.There may be a slight overlap, but the work on Sherbrooke should be finished by the time the work on Decarie begins, and the highway onramps should also be reopened by then as well, Copeman said.

And though some of the just-announced repairs will be done in the intersection of Decarie and Cote St. Luc, Copeman said it will be relegated to nights and weekends to mitigate any traffic chaos.

The Decarie Blvd. repairs will become the fourth construction site slated to impact traffic in the area – the Ministry of Transport closed the St. Jacques entrance to the Ville Marie Expressway in February and the exit ramps to Highway 20 and the Ville Marie from Highway 15 North were shuttered in March, which was met with frustration by Cote des Neiges – NDG Borough Mayor Russell Copeman.

The MTQ suggested motorists detour via the Cote St. Luc/Queen Mary exit off the Decarie Expressway.

Business owner Lyon Kunin says it's not fair he has to absorb the costs of lost business that roadwork brings -- especially the loss of foot traffic.

“People call and say just mail it. They don't even want to come,” he said.

Susan Sawyers’ owns Jasu Beauty Salon on Decarie, and says her clients come from all over.

More traffic in the area means she'll have to keep later hours.

But in 23 years of operating a business, she says she's learned to adjust along the way.

“You have to take life as it comes and not be so angry about everything. There are things you know - you just take it as it comes. And that's what I do.”

Copeman said the borough will consult with business owners in the area to try and help out before the work begins.

“We'll do our best to handle their concerns, we'll work on parking. The work cannot be avoided. It's short term pain for longer term gain, he said.

“It doesn’t do any good to keep repairing these things piecemeal with emergency repairs, we need to do the work to fix it once in for all.”